PARENTS learned on Tuesday whether they had been successful in getting the primary school of thier choice for their children.

And a headteacher has offered words of advice for parents who have been left disappointed by the process.

Sophie Baber, head of Brookham School in Liphook, said: “Although there are many fantastic primary schools in our area, competition is high.

“Hopefully, parents will be thrilled at the offer they have been made. But what if that is not the case?

“First and foremost, don’t panic and don’t let your child see that you are upset. The last thing you want is to transfer any stress or anxiety on to your child.

“Once you have processed the offer and collected your thoughts, it is time to accept the school place you have been offered.

“While this may seem counter intuitive, it is important your child has a school to go to in September.

“If you don’t, the chances are you could lose your place and be offered an even less-desirable option.

“Don’t worry – this will not affect your right to appeal.

“I would advise phoning your preferred choice of school. If you think it’s brilliant, the chances are so will lots of other parents.

“The waiting list may be long, but there is always movement – places come up all the time and it’s not uncommon to be offered a place on the first day of the new school year.

“Now your child’s name is securely on the waiting list, it is time to consider appealing. If you are to be successful, you need to have a solid case.

“Your reason could relate to a mistake in the admissions arrangements or the suitability of a school to meet your child’s needs.

“It is important to note that each local authority will have a slightly different process, so it is imperative to check out your local authority’s website.

“You may want to consider employing a solicitor or a member of a schools appeals organisation to help.”

The headteacher also had more advice – even if some parents have never thought of it as an option before...

“Going to appeal can be extremely stressful and the chances of success are limited, but there is another option to consider,” she said.

“There are some truly outstanding independent schools in our local area.

“With nurturing smaller class sizes and an enviable breadth of curriculum, delivered by specialist teachers, this a brilliant back-up plan.

“If you are in the fortunate position of being able to afford this option, you will find many independent schools will be open for admissions all year round.

“If financially this seems an impossibility, it is worth picking up the phone and asking about the bursaries on offer.

“With all of these options there is no magic wand, but if you don’t ask…”