MORE than 1,100 children across the Bradford district will not be going to their first-choice primary school this September.

In addition almost 270 youngsters will be going to a school which was not even in their top five preferences.

About 8,000 families were informed of their school place allocation today with 1,131 children, or 14 per cent, missing out on their first choice.

This was down on last year when the figures were 1,196 or 14.7 per cent.

While 6,939 children, or 86.0 per cent, will be going to their first preference school, compared to 6,928, or 85.3 per cent last year.

In addition 95.3 per cent of children who applied received one of their top three preferences compared to 94.4 per cent last year.

The number of children not receiving any of their five preferences has dropped from 338 to 269 this year, which is 3.3 per cent.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the Council's executive member for children's services, said he had expected to figures to be worse this year than last, so was pleased with the results.

"Due to the pressure on places, I expected the number of children being allocated their first preference to go down.

"We will do our level best to work with those parents who have not got a school that they applied for, but the system is very full.

"To improve on last year is quite remarkable. I would imagine that is largely down to people working out how to use the preference system better.

"Our primary school are engaging with communities and are trying to ensure that people are happy to go to their local school."

He added that with an increasing pressure on places they needed to "get beyond this chaotic free school situation". Primary schools should be created where people actually live - where the need is - and fit in with the local community.

Councillor Debbie Davies, the Council's Conservative spokesman for education, said the improved figures were a good sign, but that it was worrying that more than 250 children would not be going to any of their favoured schools.

"There has been quite a few school expansions at primary level, which could be the reason behind the increased number of children getting their first choice school," she said.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the authority, said that by her calculations her ward of Idle and Thackley was at least an extra primary school short if not two.

In addition she said she was concerned that the Council continued to allow two, three and four bedroom homes to be built in areas where the school system was already at saturation point.

"The Council's failure to plan properly is causing misery for some families," she said.

Primary school allocations come a month after it was revealed that a quarter of children did not get into their first choice secondary school in the district.

And almost 400 children will be going to a school not even in their top five choices.

A little more than 75 per cent - 5,481 - will be going to their first preference school, compared to last year's 76 per cent.