Most popular Croydon primary receives 5 times more applications than spaces

Chestnut Park school received more applications than any other school in the borough for children starting this September (2019).

And it looks like the school has become more and more popular as it received 346 applications the year before (2018) and just 291 in 2017.

This might come as no surprise given that the school was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in July 2018.

At the other end of the scale, Forest Academy got just 34 applications for its 90 places, this is down from 70 applications the previous year. It comes after a June 2018 Ofsted inspection which saw the school graded ‘Requires Improvement’.

Overall in Croydon there were 4,690 applications for 2019 primary school places.

And 3,906 of these parents were given their first preference offer, that’s a total of 83% getting their first choice.

When applying for a primary school place parents and carers can put down six schools in order of preference.

But in what is called an ‘equal preference system’, all applications are considered equally against the schools’ admissions criteria.

The preference order is only used when it is possible to offer a child a place at more than one school.

Most children were offered a place at one of their six choices, but 3% or 118 pupils, were given alternative offers. This happens when the council is unable to offer a place at any school on the applicant’s list.

Councillor Alisa Flemming said: “We have worked very hard to ensure more than 95 per cent of the children who applied on time were offered a place at one of their top three primary schools next year.

“In total 3,906 of the 4,690 applicants have been offered a place at their first choice primary school.

“I wish all of our young people the best possible start to their education as they begin a long journey to unlock their full potential.”

This is how many applications each primary school in the borough received:

Aerodrome Primary Academy Academy – 60 places – 239 applications

All Saints CofE Primary School – 60 places – 83 applications

Applegarth Academy –  60 places – 114 applications

ARK Oval Primary Academy – 90 places – 252 applications

Atwood Primary Academy Academy – 60 places – 325 applications

Beaumont Primary Community- 30 places – 399 applications

Beulah Infant & Nursery Academy – 60 places – 186 applications

Broadmead Primary School Academy – 90 places – 94 applications

Castle Hill Academy Academy – 60 places – 74 applications

Chestnut Park Primary Academy – 90 places – 501 applications

Chipstead Valley Primary Academy – 90 places – 323 applications

Christ Church CofE Primary – 60 places – 161 applications

Coulsdon CofE Primary – 30 places – 131 applications

Courtwood Primary Community – 30 places – 128 applications

Cypress Primary – 90 places – 208 applications

David Livingstone Academy – 30 places –  79 applications

Davidson Primary Academy – 60 places – 109 applications

Downsview Primary Community – 90 places – 224 applications

Ecclesbourne Primary – 60 places – 246 applications

Elmwood Infants Community –  120 places –  335 applications

Fairchildes Primary Academy – 60 places –  141 applications

Forest Academy – 90 places – 34 applications

Forestdale Primary – 60 places – 171 applications

Gilbert Scott Primary – 30 places – 58 applications

Gonville Academy – 60 places – 139 applications

Good Shepherd Catholic Primary – 30 places – 60 applications

Greenvale Primary Community – 30 places – 174 applications

Gresham Primary Community – 30 places –  309 applications

Harris Primary Academy Benson – 60 places – 131 applications

Harris Primary Academy Haling Park – 60 places – 275 applications

Harris Primary Academy Kenley – 60 places – 204 applications

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way – 90 places -153 applications

Heathfield Academy – 60 places – 239 applications

Heavers Farm Primary – 120 places –  223 applications

Howard Primary – 60 places – 252 applications

Kenley Primary – 30 places – 109 applications

Kensington Avenue Primary -90 places – 159 applications

Keston Primary – 60 places – 184 applications

Kingsley Primary – 120 places –  136 applications

Krishna Avanti Primary – 60 places –  82 applications

Margaret Roper Catholic Primary – 30 places – 90 applications

Monks Orchard Primary – 60 places – 77 applications

New Valley Primary – 30 places – 82 applications

Norbury Manor Primary – 60 places –  153 applications

Oasis Academy Byron – 30 places – 197 applications

Oasis Academy Ryelands – 60 places – 194 applications

Oasis Academy Shirley Park Primary – 120 places – 341 applications

Orchard Way Primary – 30 places  – 125 places

Park Hill Infants – 90 places – 412 applications

Paxton Academy – 60 places – 48 applications

Purley Oaks – 90 palces – 208 applications

Regina Coeli RC Primary – 60 places – 181 places

Ridgeway Primary – 90 places –  341 applications

Rockmount Primary – 60 places – 322 applications

Rowdown Primary – 60 places – 77 applications

Selsdon Primary – 90 places – 148 applications

Smitham Primary – 90 places – 262 applications

St Aidan’s Catholic Primary – 30 places – 120 applications

Chad’s RC Primary –  60 places – 131 applications

St Cyprian’s Greek Orthodox Primary – 60 places – 108  applications

St James the Great RC Primary – 60 places – 199 applications

St John’s C of E Primary – 60 places – 185 applications

St Joseph’s Catholic Infant and Nursery School – 60 places – 118 applications

St Mark’s CofE Primary – 30 places – 85 applications

St Mary’s RC Infant School – 60 places – 211 applications

St Peter’s Primary – 60 places – 247 applications

St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary – 60 places – 172 applications

The Crescent Primary Academy – 90 places – 161 applications

The Hayes Primary – 60 places – 221 applications

The Minster Nursery & Infant School – 120 places – 163 applications

The Robert Fitzroy Primary – 90 places – 226 applications

The South Norwood Academy – 60 places – 108 applications

West Thornton Primary Academy – 150 places – 312 application

Whitehorse Manor Infants – 120 places –  374 applications

Winterbourne Nursery and Infants – 150 places – 185 applications

Tudor Academy – 90 places – 88 applications

Woodcote Primary – 120 places – 204 applications

The Woodside Academy – 120 places – 204 applications