SEVENTY-one children have been provisionally turned down from a place at Aldryngton Primary School, it has been revealed.

The Silverdale Road School is regarded as one of Earley's most popular primary destinations, and has been scored as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted.

Aldryngton could offer 45 reception places to children in the borough, but received 116 applications.

The remaining 71 children have been placed on a waiting list, 13 of which live in the school's catchment area [oversubscription criteria D].

A Wokingham Borough Council [WBC] report reads: "The school was fully allocated with applicants who qualified under the over subscription criteria A-C and 19 under criteria D.

"The last child under criteria D lived 0.222 miles away from the school according to the school's computerised mapping system which is used by the council's school admissions team.

"There were insufficient places for the remaining 71 pupils.

"These applicants have been provisionally placed on a waiting list."

Parents were waiting anxiously on Monday morning to find out where their son or daughter would be heading to begin their education this September.

WBC received a total of 2133 applications from parents, who were each given three preferences.

Three per cent of applications, or 68 children, did not secure a place at any of their parents' top choices.

However, 85 per cent of applicants were given a place at their first choice school, a total of 1820 children.

Of the 2133 requests, 9 per cent or 191 were given their second choice place for the autumn, while 54 youngsters were placed in their third choice school.

Neighbours slammed the council this time last year after at least 30 children in Woodley and Earley alone were not given places at their selected schools.

WBC responded by expanding schools across the borough to cope with the increased demand, including Loddon Primary School in Silverdale Road, which was given 30 extra reception places and 30 year one spots.

There are no children who were not allocated a place at all within the borough.

Are you one of the families that were not given a spot at your chosen school? The Chronicle is keen to hear from you.

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