Sheffield primary: These schools were harder to get into for September 2024 because of higher demand

Competition to get into Sheffield’s primary schools for this September was tougher than last year.

Last week, Sheffield’s children and parents found out what ‘big school’ they will be starting at for their reception year in 2024.

However, figures show many of the Steel City’s schools had to turn down more children than they did last year and are more ‘oversubscribed’ as a result, suggesting competition was tougher.

It comes after the council was warned last June it needed to create 390 new primary school places to meet demand in time for September 2024.

Oversubscribed schools happen when more children apply to a school than it has places to offer. For example, this year Watercliffe Meadows Community Primary School filled all 60 places it had to offer and had to turn away 10 children.

Last academic year, 27 Sheffield schools were subscribed. But the figures for 2024/25 show 34 had more applications than they had room for.

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And those schools are refusing more children than they did last year, with two thirds of the schools the council published data for having to turn away more children than they did last year.

However, Sheffield Council claims this apparent extra pressure schools is mostly from parents applying to schools outside their catchment area.

The stiffest competition was for Mosborough Primary, Watercliffe Meadows Primary, Wybourn Primary, Ecclesfield Primary, and Hallam Primary, which all turned away between 10 and 15 children.

But the most oversubscribed schools relative to their sizes were Ecclesfield Primary and Meersbrook Bank, which both only had room for 30 new children and turned down 14 to 12 pupils respectively, nearly half of what they had to offer.

Some schools faced less pressure this year. After being oversubscribed last year, nine schools - Brunswick, High Green, Lydgate, Manor Lodge, Prince Edward, Rainbow Forge, Rivelin, Southey Green and Totley - reportedly did not have to turn away any applicants this year.

It comes after the Department for Education last year warned Sheffield City Council it needed to create 390 additional primary school places to meet demand in the 2024/25 academic.

The local authority also says there is actually a city wide surplus of primary school places for the next seven years, but housing developments and people moving to Sheffield is causing ‘hotspots’ where demand on local schools can jump dramatically. However, the DfE also reports the cost of creating even a single new place for at a primary school can be £21,105.

Reportedly, expansions currently underway at Manor Lodge and Wharncliffe Side will create 175 new places in total.