PARENTS worried by finding their child a school place for next September will be relieved to hear that they should get their first choice school.

Figures released by local councils show most new entrants in the Malvern Hills area went to their parents' preferred school last year.

Among primary schools, only Malvern Wyche CE, Rushwick CE, Malvern Parish and Madresfield could not accommodate all those pupils whose parents selected the school has their first choice.

Rushwick was oversubscribed by five places and the other schools by less than that.

Worcestershire County Council spokesman Lee Shrimpton said this was because of applications from outside the catchment area.

In Herefordshire only Eastnor and Brockhampton were over subscribed, Eastnor by five and Brock-hampton by one.

All local high schools had spare places.

The Chase had 280 places and 278 first preferences, Dyson Perrins 168 and 154 and Hanley Castle 150 and 142, John Masefield 174 and 164 and Queen Elizabeth, Bromyard, had 100 and 51.

What the figures don't show is how many parents don't bother to select schools which they know are popular.

Alison Hamer, of Malvern estate agents Whitt Yeates and Ridley and Humberts, said there was a lot of demand for properties in the Chase catchment area, but this was less noticeable with primary schools.

The figures show that Ledbury Primary School was full to capacity with 60 places and 60 applications, as was Malvern Wells CE where all 15 available places were filled.

There was no room left at Powick CE, where all 28 places were allocated.

However Grove Infants had 60 spaces but only 22 new entrants.

The least popular choice was Malvern Hills Primary school, which has 20 places but was nobody's first choice. The public consultation about the school's closure ended on Monday (October 21).

Responses will now be sent to the Schools Organisation Committee, which will make the final decision about its closure.