Appeal to get first choice secondary, say ministers

Around 560,000 children across the country, including thousands in London, find out today if they have been successful in obtaining a place at a state school their parents believe is acceptable.

In some parts of London, up to half are likely to be disappointed.

Schools minister Jim Knight admitted that parents would feel "let down" and he urged them to appeal if they were not happy. In comments that infuriatedheadteachers, who will have to spend hours dealing with appeals paperwork, Mr Knight said: "It's not the end of the road. I know parents might not want the hassle of appeals but I urge them to do so if they feel they have a strong case."

Data to be published shortly will show that, in Kingston, 40 per cent of children were denied their first choice this year.

In Kensington and Chelsea the proportion-who missed out on their first choice was 31.5 per cent - and 91 children received no offers at all because all six schools they put down as preferences were already full.

Last year, just 51 per cent of pupils in Southwark got their first choice, and the percentage is expected to be similar in 2008.

Heads accused Mr Knight of raising parental expectations to unrealistic levels.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "Oversubscribed schools spend many, many hours, which should be used for teaching and learning, on justifying admissions decisions. This is unfair to current pupils and a waste of their time."

Figures obtained by the Evening Standard showed that just 11.4 per cent of appeals for better secondary schools were successful last year.

In all, about 100,000 families are expected to have lost out on their first choice in 2008 and could appeal.

As pressure on places has grown, the government has introduced policies aimed at preventing middle-class families from monopolising the best schools, such as lotteries.

The outcome of the lottery in Brighton is expected to leave a fifth or more of families disappointed.

A senior government adviser told the Standard last week that lotteries were unfair.

Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief inspector of education watchdog Ofsted, and now chief adviser to the London Challenge school improvement programme said: "There are going to be some real inequalities which are almost impossible to defend, beyond saying this is the luck of the draw." A FORMER NHS chief who presided over a superbug scandal has been forced to step down from her post heading a review of other hospitals.

Ruth Harrison was given a £140,000 "golden handshake" to leave Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire after 33 patients died.

But at the weekend it emerged she was being paid tens of thousands of pounds to carry out a review of women and children's services at London's St Helier hospital and Epsom hospital.

Today the three trusts involved announced she was stepping down but another consultant from the same firm, Durrow, will take over. Ms Harrison is listed as a director of Durrow, which is set to receive £52,000 in consultancy fees.

A statement said Ms Harrison felt she would be a "distraction" after her appointment, which health campaigners had attacked, was made public.