A RECORD number of children have been allocated a place at their first choice primary school, Buckinghamshire County Council has claimed.

The council said 6,160 parents applied for a school place for their children with 5,236 youngsters being offered a spot at their first choice school.

A further 616 children were offered a place at their second, third or fourth choice school, with the remaining 308 handed a place for September but not at a school selected by their parents.

Wednesday marked the first national allocation day for primary school places. Before this, councils were free to decide the date they notified parents about which school their children had been accepted into.

Bill Bendyshe-Brown, BCC's Deputy Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "I am delighted that so many children will get a place in one of the primary schools for which they had a preference, although disappointed that not everybody was able to get their first choice.

"Many of our schools are very popular and, like all authorities in England, it is just not possible for us to give everyone a place at their first preference school.

“I know that all our schools put their pupils first and do their utmost to give them the best possible education.

“The allocation situation is ever-changing with people moving in and out of the county, and parents accepting places elsewhere, so the full picture will not be known until the first day of school in September."

For more information visit www.buckscc.gov.uk.

Was your child handed a place at your first choice school? If not, click here for advice about what you can do next.