First-choice school for nine out of 10

ALMOST nine in 10 children in Oldham will be starting at the secondary school their parents chose this year.

According to the Department for Education, Oldham Council received 2,750 applications for secondary-school places for the coming academic year, of which 88 per cent were handed their first-choice school.

Parents must rank their top three choices of schools they want their child to attend. Oldham’s first-choice rate is lower than the 90.8 per cent rate across the North-West but higher than the 85.3 per cent of parents across England who secure their preferred school.

Almost all (97.3 per cent) of Oldham parents received one of their top-three choices.

In 2011/12, 85.4 per cent of Oldham parents got their child into their first-choice school.

The new Appeals Code came into force last month and parents will also have 20 school days to lodge an appeal rather than the previous 10 school days.