Those moving to secondary school were asked to list six choices

At primary level 92% got their first choice. At secondary level it was 63%.

Publishing the figures, the city council said parents often put "unrealistic" first choices.

Almost all primary pupils were given one of their three preferred schools and 89% of secondary pupils one of their six choices, it said.

Appeal procedures

Councillor Les Lawrence, cabinet member for education and lifelong learning, said: "We know that starting school and the transfer to secondary school are very anxious times for both parents and children.

"I am delighted that we have managed to allocate so many families their preferred schools and that we got this information to parents promptly."

He recognised that some parents would be disappointed but was confident all procedures had been followed and the vast majority would be pleased.

"There are, of course, appeal procedures for those who are disappointed," he added.

Separate forms

At secondary level, 15,291 pupils submitted a preference form - which asked them to list six schools in order of preference.

Under the new system this also covers foundation, voluntary aided or grammar schools which have their own admissions criteria.

Of the total, 9,678 pupils (63.3%) were allocated their first preferred school, 1,832 (12%) their second preference and 908 (6%) their third preference - a total of 81.3%.

Another eight per cent were allocated lower preferences, while 950 children (6.2%) have been told they are likely to have to go to a school this September which they had not chosen.

The council said that, in all these cases, children had not met the criteria for any of their preferred schools.

Fewer children

The allocation of primary school places reflects a problem facing many areas - a falling birth rate has meant there is a surplus of places.

For those starting school, Birmingham asks for three choices in order of preference.

More than 12,000 pupils submitted a preference form and more than 11,000 (92%) were allocated their first preference (92 percent), 635 (5%) their second preference and 131 (1%) their third.

Just over 250 (2%) have been given a provisional place at a primary school they had not chosen.

Computerised

A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said parents often put "unrealistic" first choices because they knew their child would get into one of the others.

Unlike in the past, schools did not know where they had been placed on a family's list of preferences. The process was handled by computer.

If a child did not meet the criteria for the first preference, he or she was considered for the second, and so on until - in most cases - there was a match with one of the six preferred schools.

The Department for Education and Skills said it did not have national figures on what proportion of children obtained their first preference school.

Preferred - or favourite?

In a report on secondary admissions last year, the Commons education committee said research published by the department in 2001 had found that 92% of parents surveyed were offered a place in their first preference school.

Overall, 96% received an offer of a place in a school for which they had expressed a preference.

But the committee said that only 85% were offered a place at their "favourite" school - the one they would have wished for, whether they had put it as first choice or not.

"This suggests that parents are making strategic decisions not only about which school they most want for their child, but also about their chances of securing a place at that school and are adjusting their behaviour accordingly," the MPs said.