The Daily Echo article on primary school places (“1,500 pupils fail to secure first choice primary places”, April 17) dealt mainly with Southampton and Hampshire.

The role of Hampshire County Council as an education authority needs further explanation. These authorities are much different in size.

It should be remembered that Hampshire is one of the largest education authorities in the country with 427 junior, primary and infant schools, educating more than 101,000 children from four to 11 years old.

Hampshire proportionately has much greater school place challenges but still managed to provide 90 per cent of parents with their first preference and 97 per cent with one of their first three preferences.

This was a remarkable achievement considering there were 15,000 applications, caused in the main by an increasing birth rate.

Despite this, the county’s biggest concern is always to make sure those parents that did not receive an offer for any of their preferences understand that this is part of an ongoing process and that the council will do everything it possibly can to find a way forward that they can accept.

They have the right to appeal and also the opportunity to place their child on the waiting list of a preferred school.

Although there are no guarantees, many parents find that, due to people moving and some offers not being taken up, they eventually find a place for their child at one of their preferred schools.

CLLR PETER EDGAR, executive member for education, Hampshire County Council.