Thousands of parents 'lied to get preferred school places'

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Chief schools adjudicator Ian Craig estimates some 4,200 fraudulent applications were made last year by parents who lied about key details to help their child get a place at their school of choice.

His findings came as a study of applications by more than half a million children in England showed 83.2 per cent were offered a place at their preferred school for this coming September.

The refusal rate of 16.8 per cent was unchanged from last year.

In Yorkshire, more than 1,000 children were denied places at any of their preferred secondary schools this year, with almost

5,000 missing out on their first choice.

In his new report into deceptive applications, Dr Craig sets out a series of measures designed to strengthen the admissions procedure.

These included encouraging local authorities to publicise a "whistle-blowing" phone number, and to check 10 per cent of applications – withdrawing places in proven cases of deception. A fast-track appeals panel should meet to consider suspect applications, he said.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls, who commissioned the study, said he welcomed the recommendations but insisted children should not be punished where their parents were found to have cheated the system.

He said: "Where deception is found after the child has started school, the default position – that places are withdrawn – should be firmly linked to the proposal for fast-track appeals, to be heard within two weeks of the deception being found."