PUPILS, parents and carers in Gloucestershire will be offered a secondary school place for September on Thursday. 

More than 6,000 children will be moving up from primary school this year and 86 per cent will receive a place at their first-choice school although four per cent will not receive a place at any of their preferred options.

One place is given per pupil by Gloucestershire County Council with parents and carers given until March 8 to accept their school place or request an alternative school.

The 94 per cent of parents and carers who applied online will receive an email confirming their school place after 9am on Thursday and will be able to accept their place online.

Other parents and carers should receive a letter, including the place on offer and the reasons why. This letter will be specific to each pupil and will contain an explanation for the decision made.

If parents or carers ask for their child's school place to be reconsidered, they will be placed on the waiting list for their preferred schools.

Anyone unhappy with their initial offer are encouraged to keep their place as this will ensure that, whatever the outcome of the reconsideration; their child will have a place at a school in September.

The county council will write to parents and carers with the result of any reconsideration bid after March 30.

The admission criteria and more information about waiting lists for every school is available at gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions.