MORE than 90 per cent of parents will have been punching the air last week after receiving letters or emails their child had been offered their first choice of primary school.

But others, including Orford mum Nicola Foley, now face the difficult task of appealing the decision or face a school run which she says will take more than an hour to walk with two small children.

The 26-year-old was not given any of her three preferences for three-year-old son Jacob and was instead offered St Alban's Catholic Primary School on Bewsey Street which is a mile away from her home.

Nicola, who is also mum to two-year-old Lucas, added: "I'm a single mum with nobody to help me apart from my mum who has to get her foster children to school in Woolston.

"The bus costs £27.50 a week and I can't afford that.

"The lack of places for a Catholic school is horrendous.

"I was going to refuse the place but I've been told if I do that they will contact the attendance officer and I could be prosecuted.

"I'm livid because it's not my fault there's so many kids looking for places."

Council officials say despite increasing demand and the number of applications rising, the latest primary school figures are a two per cent improvement on last year’s.

A total of 2,847 children will be starting at primary school in Warrington from September 2015 with 91 per cent of children offered their top choice, five per cent offered their second, one per cent offered their third and three per cent had 'no preference' met although a spokesman added there is 'no issue with sufficiency of places'.

Steve Reddy, executive director families and wellbeing, said: “We do everything we can to accommodate preferences and it’s great to be able to report that, just as with secondary place allocation last month, primary school place allocation is working well in Warrington.

“We have seen an increasing demand in our primary schools this year which highlights the continuing growth in primary population.

“The strategy we have in place for expanding successful and popular schools is working and allowing more families to access their preferred schools.

“I’m delighted with these figures and the fact that a large proportion of local children have been offered a place at their chosen primary school.”