THERE will be good news for most Swindon parents today when they receive a letter offering their child a place in their first-choice secondary school.
Ninety-eight per cent of Swindon children will be starting secondary school in September in the school they most wanted.
A Swindon council spokesman said: "All the letters informing parents about their children's secondary schools places are being sent out today.
"We are pleased to report that 98 per cent of children will be getting their first choice of school."
The situation is a far cry from three years ago when parents held demonstrations because they found it so hard to get their child into the school of their choice.
Garry Perkins, the council's lead member for education, believes that change is due to the fact that standards in all Swindon schools have risen.
He said: "This is very good news for parents.
"The fact is that many schools that used to be people's second choice a few years ago are their first choice now.
"We are driving up standards in all schools now and that gives parents a lot more choice."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article