94 per cent of children have been allocated a place at one of their preferred secondary or upper schools by Hertfordshire County Council.

Of the 14,972 Hertfordshire children who applied this year, 78 per cent gained a place at their first preference school.

Over 99% of parents and carers in Hertfordshire applied online and will be emailed the school place their child has been allocated at the start of this month. Families who made a paper application will be sent a letter by first class post.

Cllr Terry Douris, Cabinet Member for Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning, said: "Moving on to secondary or upper school is an important step and we work extremely hard to make the applications and allocation process smooth and straightforward. We want to ensure that as many children as possible get a place at one of their preferred schools.

"We want every child in Hertfordshire to be able to achieve their full potential, and we know that the county has excellent schools that perform above the national average. 

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

This is another peak year for secondary admissions following higher pupil numbers moving through primary, but satisfaction rates remain high. 12 schools across the county are offering a total of 291 additional places, to ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated a local school.

All applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any Hertfordshire schools named higher on the application form than the school offered. Parents and carers are advised to accept the school place offered. Accepting the place will not impact upon the appeals or continuing interest processes.

Parents and carers have until 15 March 2022 to accept their school place.

More information about the allocation process can be found online at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/admissionsoptions