Hundreds of children risk missing out on their choice of school if parents dither, Harrow Council has warned.

With only days left until the January 15 deadline, the number of primary school applications at Harrow Council has passed the 2,500 mark - and is still rising.

According to the council, the number is even higher than this time last year, with hundreds of applications still yet to come.

“Getting this application done is crucial to your child’s future, so please don’t forget it,” a Council spokesman said.

Harrow's school expansion programme means there are thousands more school places to meet high demands in the borough.

According to the council, Harrow kids have a good chance of getting a fair start in life at a good school, close to where they live.

But parents have been warned that they need to apply on time to have a chance of getting one of their preferences.

Around 200 parents missed the deadline last year, which means they have to wait until all the other applications are processed.

That can leave parents with very little choice on where their children start school.

A Harrow Council spokesman said: “One of the biggest mistakes parents make is forgetting to make a proper application because their child is in a school nursery class.

“That doesn’t automatically give your child a school place, so parents absolutely need to apply and fill out the whole form.”

For information about how to apply before the January 15th cut off, visit the Harrow Council school admissions website .