The full extent of how state schools are flouting the admissions code was revealed today, with one in six unfairly asking parents for personal information about their children.

Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, said that a random survey of 570 schools in three areas of England had found that 96 were in breach of the statutory admissions code.

"You are talking about thousands of parents whose decisions as to whether or not to apply to a school were affected by whether or not they could sign a form and pay a fee," he said.

The Children's Secretary was giving the full results of the survey conducted by his department a month after causing a row by disclosing that a "significant minority" of schools were breaking admissions codes, but refusing to say exactly how many.

Mr Balls said that 29 schools in the survey covering Manchester, Northamptonshire and the London Borough of Barnet failed to comply with at least two requirements of the admissions code.

In particular, 58 of the schools which broke the rules had failed to give children in care the highest priority for places, while 13 had attempted to have a say over whether they admit children with special needs.

In six cases, schools asked parents to promise to make "voluntary" financial contributions as a condition of entry.

Mr Balls said one Jewish state school in Barnet wanted parents to pay £895 per child per term, while another was asking for £670 per term.

"What you can’t do is ask on the application form parents to sign a declaration that they will pay a voluntary contribution," Mr Balls said. "In my judgment as a parent, parents would not think of that as voluntary.

"I do not think it is consistent with free state education to sign commitments to pay hundreds of pounds per term."

In an attempt to combat the problem, ministers today announced the introduction of new measures to force local councils to report on the fairness of school admissions in their areas, and to make it easier for the independent schools adjudicator to investigate concerns.

They will be introduced as amendments to the Education and Skills Bill, which will shortly undergo its report stage in the Commons.

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