Liverpool’s schools will have to cut the number of pupils they admit over the next two years.

The council has told institutions to reduce yearly intakes by 415 places. The measure is linked to the city securing #163;500 million of Building Schools for the Future money for every secondary school. Heads have to reduce surplus places to secure the cash.

Tim Warren, the council’s assistant director of education, said revising admission numbers would mean new schools would not be too full. But he said parental choice would not be affected, with the schools able to take 5,000 new starters, with just more than 4,000 expected to apply.

“The caps at the individual schools are not below the projected number of expected applications,” he added. rv.