Almost 300 City Pupils to Cross Boundary

NEARLY 300 children from Hull will be travelling to secondary schools in the East Riding this September.

Parents who have applied for their children to transfer from primary to secondary school will be finding out over the next few days which school they have been allocated.

All but 41 sets of parents – out of a total of 3,657 – got places at one of their preferred schools.

Although the total number of parents applying for a place at an East Riding school has risen slightly this year, the numbers are five per cent below the figure four years ago.

Total numbers on primary school rolls have fallen for the sixth year in a row and secondary school numbers, which peaked in 2005, have dropped two per cent in three years.

The council’s director of children, family and adult services, Alison Waller, said: “Falling school rolls is likely to be a long- term issue for the East Riding.

“We have nearly 1,000 fewer children starting school each year than in the mid 1990s and the number starting secondary school each year has fallen by 10 per cent since 2002.

“This decline reflects falling births and reduced levels of new housing in the East Riding.”

Of the 352 places allocated to children from neighbouring authorities, 281 have gone to Hull children and 69 to youngsters from North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile 133 East Riding pupils will be going to schools in neighbouring council areas, mainly to denominational schools.

Eight schools in the East Riding continued to be oversubscribed: Beverley Grammar, Beverley High, Cottingham High, Hessle High, South Holderness Technology College, South Hunsley, the Snaith and Wolfreton.

Of the 41 whose applications didn’t succeed, 29 have been given a place at their catchment area school and 12 at the nearest school in the East Riding with a place available.

Among children living in the East Riding, 87 per cent will be going to their catchment area school.

Portfolio holder for children and young people Coun Penny Peacock said: “The success of the admissions round is due to a whole range of factors including the good performance of our schools and the fact that parents are happy with the catchment area system we have.

“Parents clearly identify with, and want their children to go to, their local school.”

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