More pupils are not being allocated their preferred secondary school

Parents are finding it more difficult than ever to get their child into their first-choice secondary school, according to analysis of government data.

Analysis of Department for Education (DfE) information by the Press Association shows that last year, 80 out of 151 local councils (53 per cent) witnessed a decline in the number of children given their first choice secondary school in comparison to the year before.

In addition, 45 per cent of authorities saw a drop in the number offered their overall preferred secondary school in 2016.

Fifty-seven per cent saw a fall in the number of 11-year-olds offered their first choice in the last five years and 98 councils (65 per cent) saw a drop in the proportion offered one of their overall preferences during this time.

Liverpool had the biggest drop in first choices and was down seven percentage points on 2015. Hammersmith and Fulham in west London were down by 4.2 points.

The largest drop in first-preference offers between 2011 and 2016 was Blackpool, with a decline of 19.6 percentage points. It also had the biggest fall for overall preferences, down eight percentage points.