Published: Sunday, 7th March, 2010 9:00am

More than 250 miss chosen school

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MORE than 250 children were left disappointed this week after being refused a place at their first choice secondary school.

Parents discovered which school year-six pupils would be attending from September on Monday with 24 per cent missing out on their preferred place and 24 children left without a place at all.

One of the main reasons given by the Royal Borough's lead member for education, Cllr Eileen Quick, was that many have applied out of the borough to grammar schools in Slough and South Bucks and did not meet the pass rate.

However she added: "It's quite normal at this time of year when the letters go out for people to be in this positionl; there were 94 last year and they were all resolved."

Out of 1,069 applicants in the Royal Borough 812 got their first choice. Pupils living in Cookham were worst hit following changes to catchment boundaries.

Cllr Quick added: "One pinch-point is Cookham where new designated areas will mean pupils in Maidenhead are given preference according to closeness of school and Cookham isn't particularly near any secondary school and some have only put down one choice.

"We will have to work through the list of families and resolve each one, but we won't have young people without school places."