PARENTS of children born between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015, have just seven days left to apply for a primary school place starting in September this year.

Four-year-olds begin their formal education later this year, and time is running out for parents to apply for a place for their little ones at their preferred school.

With the deadline looming, the Good Schools Guide has given some advice to parents on the hunt for the best school for their child.

It advises parents to visit school websites and read online brochures about the school, to see how the school presents itself.

Parents are also told to try and find a school which suits their child. If their child loves the outdoors, a school with a lot of outside space would be better for their development.

The most recent Ofsted report is also a must for parents, as well as details of SATS results and performance tables on the Department for Education website.

Bradford Council's admissions guide will also explain how to apply and lists admission criteria for schools in your area, as well as information about if a school was oversubscribed, and how far away pupils lived from school.

Parents should make a shortlist of schools in order of preference, and make sure to include a safe option; a school which may not be the first choice but one that would be acceptable if their child was offered a place. If this isn't done, parents risk their child going to a school they didn't want and sometimes didn't pick, and can often be some distance away.

If parents aren't happy with the results of their application, they should also not expect to be able to change the outcome, as long journeys or having siblings at a different school are not grounds for appeal. Successful appeals usually rely on the local authority making a mistake.

To apply for your child's place at primary school, visit bit.ly/BradfordSchoolsApplications before Tuesday, January 15.