Joy and excitement for pupils as school places revealed

PUPILS will tomorrow discover whether they have a place at their secondary school of choice.

Thousands of letters were posted by Surrey County Council today (Monday, March 1).

But disappointment looms for some Surrey students, who may spend their next five years at a second choice school, due to an influx of students from outside the county.

Allocation of places at most state schools is handled by the county council, that deals with 27,000 applications every year.

Children who live nearby or have siblings who are already pupils at the school stand a greater chance of being accepted there.

A full list of places awarded to the 2010/2011 intake will be published online tomorrow (Tuesday, March 2).

Offer letters for Primary School places were sent out on Friday.

Applications for places at Primary schools surged this year, with an extra 427.

The county council claim this rise equates to 14 classes of children, and would require the building of two £11 million schools to accommodate the influx.

A rise in birth rates has been cited as the reason for this, with the county council needing to find funds for 6,000 additional school places at primary and secondary level.

Peter Martin, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, said: "This shows the severe strain the economic downturn and a booming birth rate are putting on education in Surrey when many of our schools are already full to bursting.

"Over the next four years we have to create 6,000 places in our primaries and secondaries and continue to educate some 3,500 children from outside Surrey attracted by our high-quality schools.

"It is great news that we've got a 5 per cent cash increase to cover teaching and books. But it is hugely disappointing that there isn't similar support for capital funding for the classrooms and schools we are crying out for. The consequence of this is we'll have to borrow £145 million at a time of rising demand for services and future sharp cuts in funding."

There was a near 20 per cent rise in the birth rate in Surrey from 2002 to 2008, the last year official figures are available for.

The council has got a 5.2% grant increase to cover the cost of teachers, other staff and books. It will have to borrow £145m for extra classrooms and schools over four years and does not get any support from the government for this.

Surrey continues to educate more than 3,500 pupils from outside the county who are attracted by its high-quality schools.

- Did you get the place you wanted? Call the Surrey Mirror on 01737 732088 or Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser on 0306 886750