Responding to new stats out today revealing the outcomes of admission appeals by parents for school places for the 2023/24 academic year - including a rise in the proportion of successful primary school appeals by parents from 16.4% to 18.1%, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Starting a new school is a huge moment in a child’s life, so it is understandable that getting their first choice is a priority for parents and it is right that they have access to a clear and fair appeal process to try to secure this.

“The problem is that the increasingly fragmented school system lacks a co-ordinated approach to place planning. Local authorities retain responsibility for ensuring sufficient school places, but no longer have the powers and resources needed to do so. This means planning can appear haphazard, decisions are often made in isolation without considering the implications for local families, and as a result new schools and places are not always commissioned where they are most needed.

“We hope the new government’s pledge that its planned Children’s Wellbeing Bill will require all schools to cooperate with the local authority on school admissions, place planning and special educational needs inclusion, will help to address this, but we would also like to see a national strategy to guarantee there are enough school places for every child in England. No family should be left behind when it comes to getting access to the quality education their children need.”