Preston parents may have to wait slightly longer to discover whether their children have got into the primary school of their choosing.

National Offer Day – decided by the government – falls on Sunday (16 April) meaning anyone unhappy with a decision has to wait 48-hours before being able to act.

Lancashire County Council says it is co-ordinating the offer emails to go out on Sunday but some letters may not arrive until the Tuesday (18 April).

Admissions manager Debbie Ormerod said: “We are legally required to issue offers for school places on a certain day, and this year the government’s recommendation for National Offer Day is Easter Sunday.

“We know that anyone who has a query may be keen to speak to us as soon as possible, but due to the Easter Bank Holiday, the earliest we can make staff available is on Tuesday.

“We know this may be an anxious time for parents, and our team will be on hand first thing on Tuesday morning to help out with any enquiries.”

A spokeswoman for the county council added: “We contacted Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen as our neighbouring authorities to make sure that we were coordinated in announcing offers on the same day. This is important as there is potential, for example, for parents living on the same road to receive their offers on the same day, if we don’t work together to align offers.”

What do I do if I’ve got questions about the offer?

Area education officers can be contacted on dedicated email addresses:

North (Lancaster, Wyre and Fylde): pupilaccessteam.north@lancashire.gov.uk

South (Preston, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Chorley): pupilaccess.southadmissions@lancashire.gov.uk

East (Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale): pupil.accesseast@lancashire.gov.uk

Can I appeal the decision?

If you’re unhappy, you can appeal – but ask the admissions officers first for more information.

Appeals are heard locally and will be decided during May and June.