TEESSIDERS taking their first steps into education have found out where they will go to primary school.

Coronavirus didn’t put a stop to Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland Councils confirming places to parents and carers on Thursday.

Many schools in the region have closed due to the pandemic but a significant number remain open to care for and educate children of key workers.

When it came to admissions in September, a spokesman for Middlesbrough Council confirmed the admissions process had continued with reception places for four-year-olds.

Figures from the authority showed 93.4 per cent of children got their first choice of primary school – down slightly from 95.2 per cent last year.

However, out of 1,909 applications, every child was allocated a place.

Overall in Hartlepool 94.98 per cent of children have been offered a place to start school at their first choice place in September.

A further 3.99 per cent of children have been offered their second preference, with just 0.19 per cent of children offered their third preference.

In total 0.84 per cent of children have not been offered one of their preferred choices, which includes children for whom parents/carers gave only one preference.

Redcar and Cleveland Council confirmed their process was continuing as normal with messages sent out on Thursday.

Letters also landed on doorsteps in Stockton as part of National Offer Day.

Stockton Council has confirmed appeals on places will not be carried out until further notice.

But a spokesman said the authority is “considering alternative arrangements” and awaiting further information from the Department for Education (DfE).

Meanwhile, the Government has confirmed students will receive their GCSE and A-level grades on “pre-planned results days” in August after exams were cancelled due to the pandemic.

The DfE says A-level pupils will get their results on August 13 and GCSE students will be given their grades on August 20.

It comes after exams regulator Ofqual said the results would be released no later than originally planned.

Home schooling resources have been shared on some council websites to ensure youngsters don’t fall behind during the pandemic.