City school places under pressure, report shows

An expanding population could mean more children are needing places at schools than are actually available, a report has suggested.

Peterborough City Council's Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee is due to discuss how pressures on school admissions will affect both primary and secondary schools across the city in the coming years.

The Hamptons area is projected to have 111 reception pupils above capacity, indicating a significant shortfall in places by 2028-29.

The projection for the south - Hamptons and Great Haddon - also means there would be 201 Year 7 pupils above capacity for the same academic year.

The report going before the committee, which meets later on Monday, was prepared by Libby Walker, who is head of the council's admissions, attendance and transport services.

The data used to create it forecasts primary school admission figures across the city's north, central, west, Hamptons, Ortons, rural east, rural west, and Stanground, Fletton and Woodston areas.

There has been significant expansion of residential developments across the Hamptons and Great Haddon, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has said.

Priority in Peterborough admissions is first given to children with an education, health and care plan naming the school, followed by looked-after or previously looked-after children, then children in the school's catchment area (especially those with siblings already attending), children of staff, and finally, other applicants outside the catchment area.

When there are more applications than places, schools use over-subscription criteria to decide priority.

If a child is not offered a place, they are placed on a waiting list ranked according to the same criteria.

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