Council and schools meet admissions challenge

2.29.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 22nd Sep 2007

Record demand for places in the borough's primary schools has been met: every child was offered a place by the start of the school term.

The number of applications was 20 per cent higher than in 2006 - more than 400 extra applications. This meant that 136 children were not allocated places on the initial offer date in March. Council officers and schools have since worked tirelessly to ensure that every parent who wanted a place for their child has received one. The Council's education chiefs are calling on the Government for help. Leader of the Council, Cllr Serge Lourie, has asked for a meeting with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to put the case for funding to expand popular and successful schools within the borough.

Cllr Malcolm Eady, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education on Richmond Council, said: "Our schools have deservedly earned a reputation of being among the very best in the country and in turn places in them are highly sought after. The result this year was an unprecedented rise in applications. While there has been much criticism of our admissions policy we always maintained that there would be enough places for every child and so it has proved. I congratulate and thank our officers and teachers who have worked so hard to make this possible. However, we cannot continue to provide sufficient places in the long term without significant government help. Richmond upon Thames does not get a fair deal when it comes to funding - we are used to this but it needs to change. We will continue to lobby for the money we need to expand our schools and continue providing outstanding education."