PARENTS in the region are odds-on to win an appeal to get their child into the school of their choice - bucking the national trend.

In the North-East, 58.5 per cent of appeals against local education authorities' (LEAs') decisions are successful at secondary school level and 51.4 per cent for primary schools.

The success rate is even higher in North Yorkshire primary schools (71.7 per cent), but slightly lower for older children (52.9 per cent).

In contrast, across England as a whole, a parental appeal is very likely to end in disappointment in both primary schools (36.1 per cent) and secondary schools (36.4 per cent).

The low success rates have sparked accusations that the Government has misled parents by promising them choice over which school their children will attend.

The rates could also explain an explosion in internet advice services, offering expert help to buck those odds and win appeals.

The statistics, released by the Department for Education and Science (Dfes), reveal big variations in the likelihood of overturning the LEA's decision.

At primary level, parents were most likely to be celebrating in County Durham (75.4 per cent) and least likely in Stockton (7.7 per cent).

There was a 100 per cent success rate in Middlesbrough - but there was only one appeal. There were only two in Redcar and Cleveland, both of which were rejected.

For secondary schools, a successful appeal was most common in Hartlepool (66.7 per cent), but all ten in Stockton were thrown out.

Darlington - with 275 primary level appeals and 186 for secondary schools - was the area with the fiercest scramble for places.

The statistics are for attempts to obtain a school place starting between September 2005 and January last year, the most recent available.

Nationwide, they revealed the number of appeals dipping to 56,590 from 59,000 the previous year and a slight rise in the proportion that were successful.

As a result, Schools Minister Jim Knight welcomed the trend, saying: "The figures show that the vast majority of parents are satisfied with the schools their children are admitted to."

But Mary Bousted, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Although one in 20 parents appeals against a secondary school place, this represents just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to parents' annual anguish over the admissions process."

Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, said: "Behind these numbers lie thousands of worried parents, who are struggling to get the best for their children."

John Chard, who runs the Schools Appeal advice website, said: "Five years ago, no one offered this sort of service, but now the internet is full of information showing parents how to appeal."