ALMOST one in four children missed out on their first choice secondary school when all offers were made last week.

Figures from the council show out of 3340 applications from residents in Trafford, 76 per cent were allocated their first choice on March 1, National Offer Day.

Some 16 per cent were allocated their second or third choice, while eight per cent missed out on their top three choices.

All children in Trafford were allocated a place at a secondary school for September 2022.

Although one in four children missed out on their first choice, this is a significant improvement on last year, when 64 per cent were allocated their first choice.

Then, out of 3074 applications from residents in Trafford, 16 per cent missed out on their top three choices, while 24 children were not allocated a place at all.

Speaking on National Offer Day, Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "This can be an anxious time for families.

"Choosing the right school and securing a place there is a huge moment in a child’s life, and not everyone will get their first choice today.

"There is a population bulge that is currently hitting secondary schools, which means places are even more under pressure, especially in certain areas of the country."

He added: "The problem is that in an increasingly fragmented school system, we lack a co-ordinated approach to place planning.

"Authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient school places, but the powers and resources necessary for them to do so have been removed. Instead, planning is haphazard, decisions are being made in isolation and new schools and new school places are not always being commissioned in the areas they are most needed.

"Until Government creates a national strategy to guarantee there are enough school places for every child in England, the annual anxious wait for families will continue."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We know secondary school offer day is an exciting day for families, and the vast majority of pupils will be offered a place at one of their preferred schools.

"Delivering good quality school places in all corners of the country is a top priority for this government, and pupils are much more likely to be receiving a place at a good school than they were over a decade ago, with 86% of schools rated good or outstanding now compared to 68% in 2010."