On Air Now
Heart Breakfast with JK and Amanda Holden 6:30am - 10am
More than 82 percent of children who applied for a secondary school place with Kent County Council this September have been given their first choice school.
Parents who filled out their form online will be getting an email from 4pm this afternoon, then every family will receive a letter in the post over the next few days.
More than 15,200 Kent children applied for a school place: 82.8% or 12,613 have received their first preference, compared with 82.7% last year, and 80.1% in 2010.
1,481 or 9.7% got their second choice, 505 children (3.3%) were awarded their third choice, 183 (1.2%) got their fourth choice and 443
2.9% did not get any of their choices and have been allocated a school place by KCC.
KCC Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Mike Whiting, said: "We are seeing the overwhelming majority getting one of their four choices. At this stage of the process, it is a very encouraging picture.
"I would expect, come September, there will have been sufficient movement in numbers through appeals and waiting lists to make sure parents will be able to secure one of their preferred school choices."
Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford, was the most oversubscribed school in Kent, receiving more than 1,000 preferences for its 240 available places.
The nine next most popular are: Longfield Academy, Dartford; Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne; Dartford Grammar School, Dartford; Westlands School, Sittingbourne; St George’s C of E Foundation School, Broadstairs; The Charles Dickens School, Broadstairs; Homewood School and Sixth Form, Tenterden; Valley Park Community School, Maidstone; Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Tunbridge Wells.