MORE than 80 per cent of Surrey-based parents in the Farnham area have received their first choice infants school for their children this September.

Parents up and down the country discovered in mid-April whether their child had been given a place at one of their preferred choices of reception-level schools, but a detailed breakdown of the data was only made available this week.

It reveals that infant schools in Farnham and the surrounding area received 566 first preference reception class applications and in return made 469 first preference offers (83 per cent).

Of the area’s 14 reception schools, nine were over-subscribed - offering less first preference places than the number of applications received.

The most over-subscribed school locally was once again South Farnham Infants, with just 68 per cent of parents to apply for a first preference place receiving an offer.

This was followed by All Saints in Tilford (73 per cent), Potters Gate (76 per cent), St James in Elstead (79 per cent), William Cobbett in Weybourne (83 per cent), St Peter’s in Wrecclesham (84 per cent), Highfield South Farnham (85 per cent), Badshot Lea Infants (97 per cent) and St Polycarp’s (98 per cent).

The only Farnham schools unable to meet their PAN with first preference offers alone were Folly Hill (100 per cent), Hale (100 per cent), St Andrew’s (100 per cent), St John’s in Churt (100 per cent) and St Mary’s in Frensham (100 per cent).

Where schools are unable to fill their Published Admissions Number (PAN) with first preference offers, they must instead turn to second, third and fourth preferences, people who live outside Surrey and those unable to be offered a place at any of their top four schools.

Across Waverley as a whole, 85 per cent of parents received their first preference reception schools while Surrey-wide the figure rose to 86 per cent - up from 82 per cent last year.

In addition, 96 per cent of Surrey applicants were offered one of their top three preferences – up from 94 per cent last year - and all Surrey pupils who needed a place got one.

In total, 13,115 Surrey residents applied for places – down five per cent from 13,877 last year.

At junior school level, 90 per cent of Surrey applicants were offered their first preference school – the same as last year - and 95 per cent one of their top three preferences – also the same as 2016.

Liz Mills, Surrey County Council’s assistant director for schools and learning, said: “We’re pleased we were able to offer the vast majority of Surrey children the primary school place they wanted this year with six in seven applicants getting their first preference.

“While the number of applicants to Surrey primary schools fell this year in the wake of the birth rate dropping in 2013, we know we still need to create an extra 11,000 school places over the next five years to cater for demand in many parts of the county at both primary and secondary level.”