One in five families missed out on their first-choice primary school choice - but 91 per cent will receive one of their top three choices.

Richmond Council made the initial allocation of reception class offers for this September’s school starters.

This year, 2,510 people applied for a place, an increase of 136 on the previous year.

Eighty per cent of children were offered a place at their first-choice primary school, compared with 76 per cent last year.

Councillor Paul Hodgins, council cabinet member for schools, said: “Our long term plan is working, even though the pressure on school places remains high, and the challenge of finding new places increases each year.

“Liberal Democrats talk, Conservatives make things happen - school places are far too important to risk with those who only know how to talk and tweet.”

Opposition spokesman for education Councillor Gareth Robert said: “The fact that so many parents have been able to access one of their top three schools is testament to the forward thinking primary school expansion strategy put in place by the previous Lib Dem administration - a plan which was so good that the Tories now like to pass it off as their own.”

Currently 75 children are unplaced, 14 fewer than last year.

Children who are currently unplaced will be offered places before September.