Merseyside schools: The most overcrowded primary schools in Sefton according to government figures

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.