There are almost 900 disappointed children in Kirklees this week.

That’s the number who have not gained a place at their first choice of secondary school on National Offer Day.

However, the vast majority of families will be happy with the outcome.

Overall, 4,418 of 11 and 12-year-olds (83.1%) in Kirklees have been offered a place at their first choice school in September.

According to Kirklees Council, almost 95% of families have been offered a place at one of their first three choices.

However, this also means that 276 families will be unhappy that their child has not got in at any of their preferred choices.

Pupils who have not been allocated a place at one of their chosen schools are usually offered an alternative or advised of their options. Some may choose to appeal.

Nationally there was a huge variance, with nearly 98% of youngsters getting their first choice school in Cornwall, compared with just 68.5% in Birmingham.

In Yorkshire, 97.2% of pupils got their first choice in the East Riding, compared with 83% in Leeds and 92.1% in York.

An analysis of figures suggests that, outside London, approximately one in seven or eight pupils (12.5% to 14.3%) will miss out on their first choice of school this year, compared with 16.9% in Kirklees.

A Kirklees spokesman said: “Despite a substantial rise in the number of children who will start secondary school in 2015, 94.8% have been allocated a place at one of the three schools stated as a preference on their application.

“That means more than 5,000 children across the district have been allocated a place at one of their preferred schools.

“The last few months have brought more good news for secondary education in Kirklees, with GCSE achievements again topping the national average.

“A total of 56% of local students secured at least five A* to C ‘first entry’ grades, including English and maths, compared with the national figure of 53.4 per cent.”

Councillor Shabir Pandor, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, added: “We are very proud of the Kirklees family of schools. I would also like to thank them for their hard work in supporting the local admissions process.”

According to Ofsted’s 2014 annual report, England’s schools are going to have to provide places for an extra 880,000 pupils by 2023.

The figures suggest that for the first time the pressure on primary schools caused by immigration and a baby boom is feeding through to secondary schools.

Since 2000, Kirklees’ school population has increased by 20% from 5,000 to 6,000 children per year - and the signs are that it will continue to grow.

In 2013 the council announced it was investing £13 million in new school places, and a further £10.25 million was announced in January 2014 to meet the increased need for places until 2017.