Primary school places have been allocated today – with 94.6 per cent offered their first choice in Cambridgeshire, and 86 per cent receiving the same news in Hertfordshire.

There were 6,822 applications received for Cambridgeshire reception places for September 2018, with 6,453 offered their first preference – up by 1.4 per cent on last year.

Overall, 99 per cent were offered one of their ranked primary schools.

Jonathan Lewis, service director for education at Cambs County Council, said: “The higher percentage of children getting a place at their first preference school is good news for Cambridgeshire families. This is due to the hard work of our place planning team and schools accommodating additional pupils where required as well as the slightly lower number of applications for reception places this year.

“We always advise all applicants to use all three of their preferences when applying for a school place and to ensure that they include their catchment school as one of their preferences to give themselves the best chance of securing a place at a school close to their home.”

In Herts, of the 14,389 applications for reception places received, 13,938 – 97 per cent – have been allocated a ranked primary school.

Those getting their first choice was up by one per cent on last year.

Taking into account allocations to junior and middle schools, 17,264 Hertfordshire families will be informed of their offer of a school place today or tomorrow – with those who have confirmed their email address being sent their allocations this afternoon.

Jenny Coles, director of children’s services at Herts County Council, said: “Starting primary or moving on to junior and middle school is an important step and we work extremely hard to make the applications and allocation process smooth and straightforward. We want all children to have access to a good education so they can reach their full potential, with the right number of school places in the right location, so I’m delighted that the vast majority of children have been allocated one of their ranked schools.

“This is a considerable challenge given the significant growth in primary school population over the last decade. However, we are committed to ensuring that where the county’s population grows we build the appropriate infrastructure and have spent more than £200 million since 2010 to provide more than 3,800 additional reception places.

“We are also working alongside free schools and academies to attract extra funding for more school places where they are most needed.

“While I appreciate that a small number of parents may be disappointed with the school they have been allocated, I would encourage them to visit the school and speak to the headteacher before dismissing the offered place. They may be pleasantly surprised by what they see.”

In Cambs, those not offered a place at their preferred school or schools can still accept the allocation offered while appealing – which must be lodged by May 15 if notified today.

See cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-&-learning/apply-for-a-school-place/admission-appeals for more.

In Herts, all applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any Herts schools named higher on the application form than the school offered.

School places must be accepted by April 30. This is also the last date to ‘opt out’ of continuing interest. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on May 18.

For more see hertfordshire.gov.uk/primaryoptions.