PARENTS in York are less likely to win an appeal if their child fails to win a place at their first-choice school than anywhere else in Yorkshire and Humberside, according to figures released today.

But education chiefs say that since the time to which the statistics refer, the local education authority has slashed appeal rates to meet the city's needs.

The statistics show that in York last year, only 13 per cent of decisions concerning primary school children were overturned following protests from parents.

In contrast, more than half of primary school parents were successful on appeal in North Yorkshire (58 per cent), East Riding of Yorkshire (55 per cent) and North Lincolnshire (95 per cent).

Only in Bradford (18 per cent) were parents successful at appeal less than one-fifth of the time, according to the Department for Education.

The national average is 33 per cent, according to new figures. For Yorkshire and the Humber, it is 35 per cent.

Only 26 per cent of decisions over York secondary schools were overturned after appeals. Only Kirklees (20 per cent) fared worse.

Parents were more successful on appeal in North Yorkshire (66 per cent) and East Riding of Yorkshire (44 per cent).

But Coun Carol Runciman, City of York Council's executive member for education, said the local education authority's commitment to meeting children's needs meant that 95 per cent of secondary school pupils had secured their first choice this year, with five successful appeals out of a total of nine.

Ninety-eight to 99 per cent of primary school children got their first choice and three out of the six appeals received were successful.

Coun Runciman said other LEAs had received more appeals.

"We have a policy of reducing the number of appeals this year because we know the problems it causes everybody," she said.

"We've been very careful looking at the capacity of schools and the requirements of the children in the area and matching the two together.

"We cannot go over the infant class size numbers and to get the figure down to six appeals is very good."

Unhappy parents can appeal to the city council, which can set up local tribunals to review schools' admissions decisions.

Parents can even take their case to the High Court under human rRights legislation, claiming that their right to choose the school their child attends has been infringed.

There are no standardised rules for school admissions - only guidelines given to governors and head teachers by the Department for Education.

Factors taken into account include siblings at the school, distance from the school, ease of access by public transport, "feeder" primaries and class sizes.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, September 01, 2004