Oversubscribed schools: the 9 Milton Keynes primary schools that are the hardest to get into

Across England, 8% of primary school applicants and 17% of secondary school applicants did not get a place at their first choice school, affecting nearly 150,000 children in total.

In Milton Keynes, the council received a record number of 3,889 applications this year - an increase of 220 children on last year.

Of these, 94% were granted one of their top four preferred schools and 80% secured their top choice school.

Now, figures from the Department for Education, show which 10 schools were hardest to get into in MK.

They show how many people put the school as a first preference, and what percentage of them were successful.

The schools, in order from hardest to easiest, were:

1. Caroline Haslett Primary School in Shenley Lodge. Here, 60 places were offered but 116 people put the school as their first preference. Some 56 pupils did not get a place – a success rate of 51.7%. No places were given to applicants who did not have the school as first preference.

2. Middleton Primary School, where 135 first preference people were vying for 90 places. Of these 89 people – 65-9% were successful. However, 11 places were granted to applicants who did not state the school as first preference.

3. St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School in Bletchley had 30 places and 43 first preference applicants. 69.8% of these were successful.

4. Fairfields Primary School had 60 places and 82 people put it as first preference. 59 - 72% – of these were successful. One place was given to a non-first preference applicant.

5. Haversham Village School had 25 places but 30 people put it as first preference. 23 - 76.7% - of these were successful. Two places were given to applicants who did not state the school as first preference.

6. Lavendon School had 20 places and 24 applicants. Four of these - 83.3% - were unsuccessful.

7. Loughton Manor First School had an 84.4% success rate for its 64 first preference applicants. It had 60 places and 54 of them went to people who had put the school first. However, six places were given to non- first preference applicants.

8. Russell Street School in Stony Stratford had 60 places. 55 people put it as first preference and 49 of them - 89.1% - were successful. One place was given to a non-first preference applicant.

9. Monkston Primary School also had 60 places. 62 applied and 56 of them - 90.3% – were successful. Four places were given to people who had not put the school as first preference.

Meanwhile, one of the easiest MK schools to get into was St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School on Greenleys. Here, 49 people put it as first preference and 47 of these were given a place. This was a very high success rate of 97.9%.