PRIMARY schools in the Ilkley area have found places for local children without needing to formally increase their official Pupil Admission Number (PAN) this year, it has been confirmed this week.

Allocations of primary school places were made and confirmations were sent to parents on National Offer Day for primary school allocations on April 16.

No issues were reported for places in Ilkley and Burley-in-Wharfedale schools this year, Bradford Council has confirmed to councillors in a briefing note.

And Menston Primary School was able to offer places to all children who requested them, with spaces still remaining for any late applications, it was revealed.

But council officers warned some areas of Bradford district continue to be oversubscribed, although not by as many as in previous years.

Official figures, sent to ward councillors, show the overall cohort of children seeking primary school places in September decreased by almost 300 children this year, and the number of children that have not been given any of their preferred choices was 167 out of a total of 7,775 applicants district-wide.

The figures come as concern continues locally about the pressure on Wharfedale schools to find enough places for local children. Ilkley Grammar School has long been classed as oversubscribed, and there are fears hundreds of new homes being planned for the valley in Bradford's Local Plan could result in a places crisis.

Across Bradford district, more than 88 per cent of applicants were allocated their first choice of choice – an increase of more than 2.5 per cent on 2015 allocations – while 6.15 per cent, or 478 pupils, were given their second choice of school.

A total of 167 pupils district-wide were allocated a school against their preference, although this was a decrease of 1.18 per cent on 2015 allocations.

The council briefing note said a significant number of parents – responsible for a total of 600 children – made no primary school application at all.

Officers said the number of non-returns and late applications is an ongoing issue, despite work by the admissions team with pre-school establishments during the past few months.

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