More than 95% of primary school children across the Towns will be offered a place at one of their top secondary school choices today.

Families will start finding out which schools their child has been offered for September today - National Offer Day.

Parents who applied online and provided an email address will be sent their offer by 4pm and those who applied on paper forms will be sent their letters by first class post.

All families will be able to find information on the next steps available to them and how to accept or reject the place offered online.

Of the 3,174 children offered places, 79% have been offered their first preference, and 12% have been awarded their second preference. Every Medway child who applied on time has secured a school place.

The school admissions process for Medway is a huge task and involves the council’s student services admissions team processing secondary school applications for 3,799 children in total, including 625 out of area children.

This year, 98% of families used the council’s online application process to submit their preferences.

Medway Council’s head of children’s services Cllr Andrew Mackness, said: “Finding out which secondary school a child has been placed at is an important and exciting moment for families.

"I’m pleased many children have been allocated a place at a school they preferred and I wish them the best of luck as they progress with their education.”

Medway Council’s head of educational attainment and improvement, Cllr Martin Potter, said: “It’s great news that a vast majority of children have been offered a place at one of their top preference schools.

"Secondary school is a huge step for youngsters and I encourage them to keep working hard to achieve their full potential.

“The council will continue to support schools to further raise standards and challenge academy trusts and the Regional Schools Commissioner on delivering the best outcomes for our Medway children.”

Ian Sutherland, director of children and adult services, said: “Our admissions team work hard to make sure as many children as possible are placed at one of their preferred secondary schools in Medway.

"I’d like to wish the children receiving their school offer today all the very best, and hope they enjoy the next exciting stage of their schooling.”