Council have issued funding concerns after figures revealed secondary school applications had reached their highest level since 2009.

Figures from local authorities show the proportion of pupils given their first choice of secondary school fell from 85% in 2014 to 84% this year.

Applications for secondary school places rose for the second successive year to 521,274, just shy of the 568,000 high in 2009.

First preference secondary schools were least likely to be offered in London, while the North East saw the highest rate of applicants granted their top choice.

In contrast almost 88% of families were granted the first choice primary school for their child, an almost identical proportion to the previous year.

The Local Government Association (LGA) today said councils had maintained school place levels despite the impact of ‘rapidly rising numbers of pupils’.

Research suggests that 60% of English regions will have more primary school age pupils than places in 2018/19.

A LGA spokesperson said: ‘Councils and schools have proven they can rise to the challenge and be both innovative and cost effective. In all, 300,000 primary school places have been created since May 2010 with many schools going to extraordinary lengths to ensure there is a place for every child, including increasing class sizes, diverting money from vital school repair programmes and converting non-classroom space, such as music rooms.

‘Government now needs to properly address the issue by committing to provide long term and sufficient funding for school places so that councils and schools can continue to successfully meet the need.’