This says the idea of parental preference can be "a frustrating and time-consuming cause of much distress in the lives of many families". BBC News Online heard from parents having to make a "choice", about their frustrations with the system.

It was important my daughter got into the school of her first choice but we were not in the catchment area.

We were thinking of going to appeal but I spoke to councillors and the head of our favoured school and found we would not have a very strong case.

We would have moved house to get her there. In the end, we decided to rent a flat within the catchment area for six months.

It was important, because my daughter's friends were going there and because I have got three children and this would affect their chances of getting in.

When it comes to getting into a school, there isn't really a choice for parents.

We have battled long and hard to exercise our right of choice for our daughter who is due to transfer to secondary school. She was refused a place not only in our preferred school but also within our catchment area and even at that which her siblings attend.

The reason given was that it was full and resources would be over-stretched. In fact, the only school offered to her would have meant a 35-minute taxi ride across the county every morning and every evening at local education authority expense.

Our child has been classed as "of exceptional ability", having been referred for special testing and has psychologists' reports stating very clearly why the school we had chosen was essential for her well-being.

However, there is no legal obligation for the local education authority to support gifted children in the way that those with learning difficulties are entitled to. Appeals and letters failed.

We have withdrawn our child from the state system and she has secured a scholarship to an independent school on the strength of her ability.

I have given up my teaching post (I have 18 years of experience in a shortage subject) to take up a better-paid job so that we can meet the rest of the fees. So much for parental choices.

What choice? In my area we have two Catholic, one Jewish, two selective, two foundation schools.

The remaining 10 community schools, with a variety of specialist statuses, and a new PFI [private finance initiative] school are all absolutely chock-a-block with no space to expand.

The only one which has space has recently been placed in special measures.

What choice with an inflexible admissions policy, selective schools, voluntary-aided, controlled and a single-sex school?

My son went to a Tameside primary school, and when he moved up to secondary school, because I live only just in Manchester, I was turned down for the only decent school, due to not living in Tameside.

I was told it was Manchester's responsibility, but there really are no decent Manchester schools near me.

While it appears that parents have a lot of choice, due to all the different types of school available, in actual fact the schools pick, not the families Margaret Smith, Kent

So I have now spent the last five years teaching him myself. It has been excellent.

He has received a far better education at home, with lots of time to include all the things schools can't afford to do, at least not the local schools.

We have designed and built lots of things, taught maths using more fun and logical methods, spent hours discussing the environment and how to improve it and changed our environment for the benefit of wildlife. Everything is hands-on.

You do not need endless tests. My son now thinks for himself, problem-solves, designs for himself. Schools teach only to be obedient and do as they say.

Parents, why trust the state with educating your children? You were their first teacher. Why stop?

I live in an area of Kent which ostensibly has a great deal of choice: grammar schools, specialist schools, single-sex comprehensives, mixed comprehensives and faith schools.

Every school chooses its pupils, either by 11-plus, catchment, or faith.

When the time comes to choose a senior school you only get one chance, due to over-subscription at most of the schools. Naturally every school wants to fill its places with first choices.

This makes it very difficult for parents and children because they have to be sure they fulfil all the entrance criteria to get their first (and only) choice.

The nonsense of all of this is that while it appears that parents have a lot of choice, due to all the different types of school available, in actual fact the schools pick, not the families.

I don't have a problem with entrance criteria (as long as they are clear and obvious), nor do I have a problem with the schools choosing whom they want to have in their school.

I do have a problem with the government dressing this up as "parental choice" and telling us how much better off we are.

When our daughter was due to change to senior school, we fought to get her into one of the top three schools of our choice.

All rejected her and we had to send her to another school, which had an awful reputation.

Despite a fine head teacher, the school is not well supported in the local press, or by its independent funding (many children attend from single parent/split-family backgrounds) and the reputation has not improved in five years.

However, my daughter is going to university in October, having obtained her GCSEs and (hopefully) A-levels.

The school does its best under difficult circumstances, and we do not regret our daughter or son attending.

But it is difficult to persuade others of its good points, while the rich schools get richer.