Fewer Cumbria pupils have been offered a place at their primary school of choice, figures reveal.

Department for Education data shows 97 per cent of pupils starting primary school in Cumbria in September have been offered a place at their preferred school – slightly down from 97.3 per cent last year.

It means 130 children have missed out on their top choice.

The figures also show the number of applications to primary schools in Cumbria has decreased by 6.7 per cent to 4,354.

Meanwhile, the proportion of secondary school pupils who have been offered their first choice of school is up slightly from 93.6 per cent last year to 94.7 per cent.

The Association of School and College Leaders says the system was not working well enough for all schools.

Geoff Barton, general secretary, said: “Most pupils gain places at their first-choice schools, but a significant number, particularly at secondary level, don’t do so, and this is bound to be very disappointing for the families concerned.

“The main reason this happens is the competition which exists for places at schools which are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

“These schools are often over-subscribed and some families therefore miss out on their first preference.

“The solution is for the Government to put more support into struggling schools and make sure every family has access to a good school place.

“Unfortunately, the current system is not working well enough for schools which face the greatest degree of challenge and the communities they serve.”

School standards minister Nick Gibb said: “For the fourth consecutive year more than 90 per cent of children have been offered a place at either their top primary school choice or one of their top three secondary school choices, which I know means a huge amount to families.

“Children and young people are now vastly more likely to be at a good or outstanding school than they were ten years ago, so parents across the country can be confident their child will get the high-quality education they deserve.”

The DfE said several local authorities had advised that a larger than usual number of applications were submitted late. Those are not included in these figures.

The DfE added that there might be an increase in the number of families opting to home school due to the pandemic, while a reduction in migration, because of the pandemic travel controls, may have contributed to the fall.