School applications dissapointment

2 March 2010, 15:00 | Updated: 3 March 2010, 07:08

There's been a jump in the number of Oxfordshire children missing out on a place at their first-choice primary school.

It's risen more than 20% to more than 850, compared to 704 in 2009.

Oxfordshire County Council are putting the change down to a large increase in applications for places starting in September 2010.  They say they're pleased just over 87% of children were still able to get a place at their first-choice school, down from 89.62% last year.

There's also been an increase in the number of children missing out on a place at their first choice secondary school.  It's risen to 721, from 648 in 2009.  That means 88.52% were able to get a place at their first choice-school, down from 89.49% in 2009.

County Council Schools Improvement boss Michael Waine is pleased they've been able to find a place for all children who applied on time: "We have had more applications this year but despite this the percentage of applicants receiving one of their top three choices at secondary and primary school is still very high.

"A lot of work has been carried out over the last year to create additional places in Oxford ready for this September to ensure that there were school places within easy reach. We've created an extra 338 primary places to enable us to offer a place to every on-time applicant from Oxfordshire."

Your views

We feel very devastated, we didn't get any of the three choices. Yes we were offered the place in local school but unfortunately the Ofsted report for that school is very bad... and we dont want our son to go there as we are both professionals and all what we can see in the morning around that school are single and unemployed mothers with more than one child with cigarettes in their mouths shouting around.

We will have to refuse that school and probably if we wont be successful after appeal send our child to stay with his grandmother overseas and start school there. Very very sad as we were hoping for better future for our son in the country of endless opportunities - Zuzana, Oxford

I was offered my third choice for  my son who starts his first school this September. After not being able to get into my local nursery school at Millbrook for which he was on the waiting list from birth I was offered a place at Wantage C of E, which started in Sept 2009.

When he started we were told he would have a better chance of getting into reception the following year. He has settled in very well and has made some friends but now has to go to another school in Wantage as he couldn't get into Wantage C of E as we live out of the catchment area.

It's a joke when i have paid my taxes for over 20 years and can't even get my child into a school in the village where we live.

When all the schools are full up where will the children left over have to go to school??? Will they need to be home schooled or shipped out to yet another town? - Alison, Grove