Around one in six children in England missed out on a place at their top choice of secondary school this year, government figures show.
In total, 84.1% of 11-year-olds across the country were given a spot at their first preference, compared with 84.2% in 2015.
The latest Department for Education statistics also show that 88.4% of youngsters seeking primary school places were offered their first choice, up from 87.8% last year.
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This means that almost one in eight did not receive their top preference.