Four percent fewer Hackney children are due to start primary school next year, new figures show. 

According to the numbers released as part of National Offer Day 2024, 1,913 Hackney families applied for a place in primary school for September 2024, compared to 1,993 for September 2023.

The majority of families in Hackney (1,780 applicants) were offered a local primary school. 242 applicants from other boroughs have also received an offer of a Hackney school. Almost 98% of the local families have been offered a place at one of their first three preferred schools. The percentage of families offered a place at their first preference school has increased by approximately 5 percent since last year, up to almost 93%.

At this stage in the process, there are still 440 (17.74%) places in primary schools in Hackney that remain unfilled. 

According to the National Primary Offer Day 2024 numbers for London, the decrease in demand for reception places continues to affect many London boroughs, with 2.2 percent fewer applications received by London primary schools compared to last year. This trend is expected to continue, as shown in a report released by London Councils in January 2024.

Families can find out more information about the next steps of the admission process from the Hackney Council’s website.