School places decided by lottery

Pupils from primary schools will go into a lottery

A lottery is to be used to decide which pupils will get a place at the seven most popular schools in Hertfordshire.

The county is the second authority in England to introduce the system to deal with the problem of children getting into oversubscribed secondary schools.

Special educational needs, having siblings at a school and other criteria will decide the majority of the 1,123 places at the seven schools.

A small number of remaining places will be decided using the lottery system.

Hertfordshire County Council claims this system is the fairest way to decide who will go to its most popular schools, despite the fact many parents believe it is not the way to deal with their children's future.

We are using the lottery system and will see how it goes David Lloyd

There were 3,359 applicants for the 1,123 places at Hitchin Girls School, St Albans Girls School, Bishop's Hatfield Girls School, Presdales School for girls in Ware, Hitchin Boys School, Verulam School in St Albans and Richard Hale School in Hertford.

All are single sex and recruit pupils from a wide area.

David Lloyd, education portfolio holder, said: "People are wrong to claim we are abdicating responsibility as we are trying to bring a fairer access to more children.

"Some parents claim that families living on the side of a village nearest a school had an unfair advantage when criteria were based on distance. With a lottery all have an equal chance of winning a place.

"We have more than 12,000 applicants for school places each year and 80% of pupils get their first choice and 90% one of the three they name.

"Parents can still appeal against a decision. We are using the lottery system and will see how it goes."