New figures show that almost 10 per cent of secondary school pupils who have started this week haven’t been allocated any of their top three choices, making Bradford the sixth worst in the country.

That is a fairly damning figure and it represents 663 children and their families who have failed to get into any of their preferred three schools.

Unfortunately, it is now being used as a political football, with Labour MP Judith Cummins blaming the Government, but the Conservatives blaming Bradford Council.

That is all well and good, but it does nothing to help the children who have missed out on their preferred places.

Of course, there will always be occasions when parents do not get the school they wanted their child to attend – that is a matter of supply and demand.

However, it does seem unfair that this level of families have been denied their second and third choices as well.

The level of choice that has been opened up to us in all sorts of areas, including education, has undoubtedly exacerbated this problem, with the best-performing schools becoming over-subscribed.

In the past, children tended to go to the school closest to them, often where their parents had gone before them.

As we have said here before, it may be that it is time to consider a return to some form of local school culture.

It is impossible to turn back the clock, but short of a massive influx of resources being thrown at it, it is difficult to see how else this situation will ever improve.