City of York Council is expanding capacity at a number of city secondary schools after schools outside the city reduced their intake of pupils from York.

Many parents in the city have traditionally sent their children to schools outside York like Easingwold School and Tadcaster Grammar but North Yorkshire County Council is reducing the intake because of a statistical blip in pupil numbers which is affecting local education authorities across the country. Easingwold School is taking no pupils from York in the new school year and Tadcaster Grammar School is reducing its intake.

In York the 2002/2003 school year will see a record number of 2113 children leaving primary schools for secondary schools.

City of York Council has decided to meet the demand for places by increasing capacity at Canon Lee, Fulford, Huntington, Joseph Rowntree, Millthorpe and Oaklands schools. As voluntary aided schools both All Saint's RC School and Manor CE School have their own admissions policies but in any case have no spare places.

The council is now writing to parents of primary school children across the city to explain the allocation of extra places which is being carried out as broadly as possible to ensure that as many parents as possible can get their children into their first preference school.

The council is also obliged to allocate any spare places in schools to parents outside the school's catchment area expressing it as a first choice - whether they live inside the city boundaries or not. The council is planning for the new school year in the second year of the its improved secondary school admissions policy which provides each of its schools with a catchment area. The system is designed to ensure that children living in that area get first call on places at their local school.

Murray Rose, the council's assistant director of educational services, said, "This rise in numbers is a statistical, demographic blip and we are expecting a fall in secondary school pupil entrants over the next few years before the figures level out.

"Clearly because of the situation we have had to plan to take in more children this year because less parents will be able to send their children to schools outside the city and there is a general, one-off increase in numbers.

"Our new system is working and has been able to cope with this increase since we have already been able to allocate 88 percent of first choice places - only one percent lower than in the intake from primary schools in the current school year."

The council has published a list of number for parents wishing to seek advice on secondary school admissions. Anyone seeking advice or more information - including about how to appeal - should ring any one of the following 01904 York numbers: 554248, 554247, 554243 or 554246.

Parents can also visit the council's customer advice centre at 10/12 George Hudson Street which is open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm.

END