One primary school in Essex is so oversubscribed that half of parents who put it down as their first choice didn’t get a place there.

As many parents prepare to submit admission applications for their children’s primary school places, official data has revealed the hardest primary schools to get into in Essex.

The county’s most oversubscribed primary school is Messing Primary School near Colchester.

The school, which is operated in partnership with New Hall School in Chelmsford, is currently taking bookings for tours for prospective parents.

The school was last inspected in 2018 when it was graded ‘Good’ overall with outstanding areas in effectiveness of leadership and management, personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils and early years provision.

Of the 21 applications putting the school down as a first-place preference, just 11 were offered a place – 52 per cent.

Just 53 per cent of parents putting Lee Chapel Primary School in Basildon – the second most oversubscribed school – were successful in being offered a place. The school was rated outstanding in February 2024.

A report judged: “Education at this school is truly exceptional. The high achievement of Year 6 is a testament to the excellent education pupils receive from the start of their time here. Many pupils write and express ideas in advance of their years. This does not happen by chance.”

Of the 222 first-place preferences, just 118 were successfully offered a place.

Elm Hall Primary School in Witham saw 55 first palace preferences for 30 offers, equating to a 55 per cent success rate.

An Ofsted report earlier in 2024 judged the school to be good, with early years provision outstanding.

It said: “Pupils who attend this school are happy. They enjoy coming to school because their teachers make learning fun. Pupils appreciate the learning opportunities that their teachers provide. Pupils work hard and, in most subjects, meet the high expectations that staff have of them.”

The window for a primary reception school place at an Essex primary school starting September 2025 opens on November 4, 2024, and closes on January 15, 2025.

Parents are likely to be told the results of their application in April.

Last year almost 16,000 applications were received by Essex County Council for places starting in September 2024.

The fourth most subscribed was Kendall C of E primary school, in Colchester which saw 54 first places preferences but just 30 successful offers.

Stisted C of E in Braintree saw just 15 offers from a total of 27 first-place preference applications.

Beehive Lane Community Primary School in Chelmsford saw 30 offers from the total 53 first-place preference applications – equating to 57 per cent.

Holy Trinity C of E primary school in Halstead saw 27 offers from the total 47 first-place preferences.

A total 98.61 per cent of primary school age children starting reception in September 2024 were offered one of their parents’ preferences of schools – the highest ever percentage.

Of the 15,862 primary school applications, 14,477 pupils who are due to start in reception in September 2024 were offered their parent or carer’s first preference of primary school.

This is 91.27 per cent of the total cohort and is an increase on the 90.78% who obtained their first preference the year before.

It was also the highest percentage of first preference offers in Essex since admissions have been fully co-ordinated.

Another 5.54 per cent of children were offered their parents’ second preference of school. This means 96.81 per cent of parents were offered their first or second preference, another record high percentage in Essex.

In total, 98.61 per cent of parents have been offered one of their preferred primary school preferences, the highest percentage ever in Essex.