The Scarcity Trap – Why Limited School Places Increase Panic (And How to Step Out of It)

“There aren’t enough good schools.”

It’s a phrase you hear over and over – in the playground, in WhatsApp groups, in articles and comment sections. And it’s one that sends a very clear message: you’re in a race, and the odds aren’t in your favour.

No wonder parents feel anxious.

But what if this sense of panic isn’t just about the schools themselves, but about the way our brains respond to pressure and scarcity?

When places feel scarce, panic takes over

In the book Scarcity, Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir explore how humans behave when they feel they don’t have enough – whether it’s time, money, or (yes) school places. When something feels scarce, we stop thinking broadly and strategically. Instead, we zero in on what’s missing, and make decisions based on fear and urgency rather than clarity.

This is known as tunnelling. You might recognise it in your own school search – suddenly, all your energy goes into one or two “top” schools. You panic about the catchment area. You start worrying about backup plans before you’ve even visited the school around the corner. You’re stuck in reactive mode.

And the cruel twist? The more panicked you feel, the more likely you are to make decisions that add to your stress. That’s the scarcity trap in action.

Are school places really that limited?

It’s true that in some areas – particularly in parts of London and the South East – certain schools are oversubscribed. But here’s what often gets missed: most families are offered a place at one of their top choices. And most schools perform within a relatively narrow band.

The idea that there’s a tiny handful of “good” schools and the rest are terrible simply isn’t true.

But it feels true – because fear shrinks our thinking. We become so focused on getting in that we stop asking: what kind of school is right for my child? What matters most to us as a family?

Part of what drives the scarcity panic is the illusion that you’re picking something fixed – a “good” school that will stay good forever. But schools are dynamic. A new headteacher can shift the culture dramatically. A new cohort can change the vibe of a year group. Just like families, schools evolve. The best protection isn’t securing the “best” school, but building your own understanding and flexibility so you can respond to those changes with confidence.

What helps? A wider lens.

To step out of the scarcity trap, we need to widen our lens.

That means:

• Understanding how school admissions actually work – not just what we’ve heard.

• Getting curious about more than just one or two options.

• Looking past the headlines and league tables, and digging into what really goes on in a school day-to-day.

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And above all, it means shifting from panic to purpose.

That’s where my course comes in. It gives parents a grounded, honest overview of the school system, helps you unpack what really matters to your family, and offers practical tools to make confident choices – even in a system that feels like a scramble.

Feeling trapped by the school place panic?

I have designed courses to help parent navigate applying for schools. For the primary version, click here. For the secondary version, click here.