As summer fades the annual scramble for school places gets under way with gusto.

Nobody can blame parents for wanting the best education for their children this city can provide.

The council is doing its best to ensure all families are armed with masses of information to help with this fraught and difficult decision.

The relaxation of catchment areas defining which school parents can select has added to the choice and the confusion.

Many children will react with disappointment when they are not allocated places at schools traditionally at the top of Sussex's academic tree but every school has its merits, its good teachers and its strong points.

It is not the building or the location which makes a good education, it's the participation of parents and pupils.