MORE than 90 per cent of parents have been offered their first or second preference of secondary school according to Essex County Council (ECC) figures. A total of 81.02 per cent of parents have been offered their first preference, with 10.48 per cent get

MORE than 90 per cent of parents have been offered their first or second preference of secondary school according to Essex County Council (ECC) figures.

A total of 81.02 per cent of parents have been offered their first preference, with 10.48 per cent getting their second preference.

This means that 91.5 per cent have been offered their first or second preference, compared with 91.44 per cent last year.

ECC cabinet member for education, Cllr Stephen Castle, said: "Waiting for that all important secondary school offer can be a nervous time for parents and pupils, and I am delighted that so many will be receiving good news.

"I am very proud of the work that all partners have put in to achieve another increase in the number of parents who have landed their first or second preferences.

"Unfortunately, we have had some technical problems with getting email notifications out and as a result our notification website has experienced an overwhelming amount of traffic.

"We are working to resolve these issues, but I hope the positive message of increased choice to parents is not overshadowed by these technological glitches."

Essex County Council received a total of 15,425 applications with more than half choosing to apply online.