HUNDREDS of extra children have been offered the chance to study at their first choice of school following a second round of admission offers.

Families across the county yesterday received letters from Oxfordshire County Council informing them whether they had been allocated places at their favoured school.

Since initial offers went out on March 1, about 650 extra children have been offered their first choice of school, partly due to late applications and dropouts.

County council statistics indicate this leaves 636 secondary and 805 primary school children who have not got their first choice.

The new round of admissions increases the number of children getting into their favoured secondary from 88.5 per cent to 90.3 per cent, and sees 88.8 per cent of primary school children getting their preferred choice – up from 87.7 per cent.

Erin Coyle, her husband Garrett, daughter Cliona and son Mohammed, 11, moved from Kidlington to Wood Farm, Oxford, after they had applied for school places.

Cliona had been allocated a place at their second-choice school, North Kidlington Primary, but her parents re-applied for places at Wood Farm, Windmill or St Andrew’s primary schools in Oxford after moving – only to be told they were full.

But the four-year-old has now been given a place at St Andrew’s in Headington.

Mrs Coyle, 32, a theatre administration assistant at the Churchill Hospital, Headington, said: “I am really pleased because at least she is going to a school that is close.

“It has been quite un- settling but I am so glad she has a place there.”

Yesterday’s offers take the proportion of children getting a place at one of their top three schools to 97.9 per cent in secondaries and 96.1 in primaries. There are now 127 secondary pupils and 279 primary pupils who have not been allocated places at any of their top three choices.

Originally, 187 secondary-pupils and 341 primary pupils were offered places at schools they had not expressed a preference for.

The council’s director for children, young people and families, Meera Spillett, said: “This year has seen a rise in applications as well as a lower-drop out rate following the first round of admissions, and then a large number of late applications following the deadline.

“We remain committed to working hard to fulfil the demand on school places, particularly at primary level, and ensuring every child has a school place, where possible, close to where they live.”

An additional 338 primary school places have been created in Oxford since last year to meet demand.

Appeals are still being heard and parents who are not happy with their allocation can lodge an appeal at any time.