Band three pupils will be out of their depth in top-tier schools

The fact that the vast majority of pupils in the secondary school allocation this year got into one of their top three choices might appear to be great news for parents, at first glance.

However, it could be the beginning of a nightmare for many of them.

There are now fewer "band three" schools. Many of those that remain face the threat of closure, because they are not being provided with enough students.

Education officials see this as a success. They will claim this is happening because of the decreasing number of students who are joining the annual secondary school allocation system.

This means that there is less competition when it comes to fighting for a place in a top-tier school.

Logically, few would opt to go to a band three school, because they generally have a poor reputation. That may sound like a reasonable explanation, but it only tells part of the story.

Some may see the closure of these band three schools as a no-brainer. They do not appear to be needed and they save resources. But what happens to the young people who went to these schools? They don't just vanish into thin air.