THE WAIT for news of secondary school places is almost over for pupils and parents in Gloucestershire.

On Monday, March 3 parents of pupils going to secondary school in September 2014 will receive an allocation offer from Gloucestershire County Council.

All parents in the county will be offered one school place on the same day.

They will then have until March 14 to accept their school place or request an alternative school.

All parents and carers who applied on-line will be able to accept their place online if they wish.

Those who applied for a school place online will receive an email confirming their school place after 9am on March 3.

Parents who applied online and whose child has been offered their first preference school will not receive a letter in addition to their email.

All other parents and carers will receive written notification of their child’s allocated school in the post on the same day.

This letter will be specific to each pupil and will contain an explanation for the decision made.

This year, at this stage, 96 per cent of pupils have received a place at one of their preferred schools, with 85 per cent been offered their first preference.

Overall pupil numbers have risen by 300 but all 6,767 children will receive an offer of a school place within Gloucestershire or in a neighbouring county in line with parental preferences.

More information is available at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions