As a reported 60,000 parents lose out on their first choice of primary school, one dad is celebrating today - Nick Clegg's son got the family's first primary school choice.
The deputy Prime Minister told listeners on his weekly LBC radio show that he was 'delighted' that his youngest son has got into the school of their choice, but acknowledged that the whole admissions process was an 'immensely anxious time' for families.
Mr Clegg revealed his son Alberto's schooling arrangements after a female caller told him she had been forced to send her child to private school after her local education authority offered only her FOURTH choice of school.
Mr Clegg said the Government is currently 'pouring a lot of extra money' into creating new primary schools, but claimed he could well imagine the dilemmas parents face.
"I just heard yesterday our youngest son got has got into the primary school of our first choice so I am absolutely delighted like many other parents. It's a really good thing that the number has gone up to 81 per cent of families that got their first choice," he said.
"It's up from what it was previously. It still means there were 19 per cent who were disappointed. I can imagine.. not getting your first choice or second choice can pose huge dilemmas."
He went on to reiterate that his Government are doing more to anticipate demand for school places.
"We've just said we're going to pour another billion into expanding school places," he told listeners. "I think it's around 190,000 school places by September of this year. If we can create those school places, we can minimise the number of families who are disappointed."
Stephen Twigg, the Shadow Education Secretary, said 'far too many will miss out on the school they want'.
"Children are not getting their choice of school or are being squeezed into overcrowded or unsuitable buildings," he said.
"The Government has cut the school capital budget by nearly 60 per cent - twice the Whitehall average - and they are setting up schools in areas that already have enough places."
Nick Clegg's oldest son Antonio will start at oversubscribed boys' Catholic secondary school, The London Oratory, in September, the same school which Tony's Blair's sons attended.