Elmbridge has the highest number of primary school children in Surrey who did not get into their first choice school, according to figures released by the county council this week.

Though 1,412 children got into their desired school, 241 Elmbridge pupils were instead offered their second or third choices across the borough’s 25 schools.

Ashley C of E Primary School in Walton, Burhill Primary School in Hersham and Oatlands School in Weybridge proved the most popular, each offering 90 places, with nearly all of these being offered as first choices.

Children who are or have been in care are prioritised first when deciding how school places are assigned, and those with an exceptional social or medical need are the second priority.

Siblings of pupils already at the school are next on the list, followed by those who live nearest to a particular school.

Figures released by Surrey County Council on Tuesday revealed that the number of students offered their first choice of primary school across the county went down by 0.7 per cent from last year to 82.4 per cent, while the number applying for reception places rose by 2 per cent to around 279 – enough to fill a new one-form primary school.

Surrey’s cabinet member for schools, Cllr Linda Kemeny, said: “There has been a small decline in the proportion being offered their first preference school which may be linked to the increase in demand for places we’re seeing in Surrey. 90 per cent of Surrey primary schools are now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

“Over the next five years, we know we need to find a further 11,000 places across our primary and secondary schools but it is getting harder and harder to pay for them because rising demand is not being matched by extra funding from the Government.”