FIGURES released today (Friday, 16 April) reveal that 89.17 per cent of applications for primary school places in Thurrock, starting in September 2021, resulted in parents and careers getting their first choice.

And 97% of Thurrock children have been offered one of their top three choices of primary school for the new academic year.

The council has not made any comment about the figures, which compare

Breakdown of 2021 figures:

How many children in Thurrock got their first choice of primary school place for this September – 2,084 offers (89.17%)

How many children for their third choice place for this September? – 23 offers (0.98%)

Children offered a place which was not one of their preferences – 48 offers (2.05%)

Out of borough offers – 53 (2.26%)

The figures are very close to those of Essex County Council which are:

• First preference school – 89.75 per cent
• Second preference school – 5.94 per cent
• Third preference school – 1.93 per cent
• Fourth preference school – 0.70 per cent
• 1.68 per cent of pupils could not be offered one of their parent's preferred schools and have been offered a place at the nearest school with a place available.