National Offer Day has arrived and parents will find out the primary school where their child has been offered a place in reception.
Not all children will get the school they put down as first choice and this could be because that particular institution is oversubscribed or over capacity. So, we’ve taken a look at the issue of overcrowding in Sefton schools.
Figures from the Department for Education show that in 2021-22 there were 23 primary schools in Sefton which had more pupils on roll than the number of places available.
The Education Policy Institute said areas with schools operating close to or over capacity see teaching staff facing additional demands. Across England, 17% of primary schools were full or over capacity while 23% of secondary schools, including sixth forms, were at or above capacity last year.
Jon Andrews, Education Policy Institute head of analysis, said the proportion of schools operating at over capacity is likely to fall in the coming years, but warned that schools being over capacity places additional demands on teachers.
A Department for Education spokesperson said it has created almost 1.2 million school places since 2010 and added many more are “in the pipeline”. They said: “The vast majority of schools listed as overcapacity are either at or just over recorded capacity, and we work closely with local authorities to make sure they offer a school place to every child in country.”
Check below to see if your child’s school is running over capacity.

1. Hudson Primary School
Hudson Primary School had 180 school places and 235 pupils. This means it was over capacity by 30.6%. | Google Street View Photo: Google Street View

2. The Grange Primary School
The Grange Primary School had 210 school places and 265 pupils. This means it was over capacity by 26.2%. | Google Street View Photo: Google Street View

3. Freshfield Primary School
Freshfield Primary School had 210 school places and 232 pupils. This means it was over capacity by 10.5%. | Google Street View Photo: Google Street View

4. Redgate Community Primary School
Redgate Community Primary School had 210 school places and 222 pupils. This means it was over capacity by 5.7%. | Google Street View Photo: Google Street View