Nearly 50 pupils missed out on any of their preferences

Dozens of pupils in Islington have not been offered a place at a single secondary school of their choice for September.

Nearly 50 primary pupils who are set to move up to secondary school did not get into any of their six preferences.

Meanwhile, a quarter of the 1,484 applicants – around 370 – were denied a place at their first choice.

Parents and children learned their fates when they received letters in the post on Saturday.

Islington Council and the Pan London Admissions Board (PLAB), which co-ordinates all secondary school admissions in the capital, highlighted the fact that 94 per cent of pupils did make it into one of their top three choices.

That is above the London average and marks an improvement on last year’s rate, which was 91 per cent.

Eleanor Schooling, Islington Council’s corporate director of children’s services, said: “There is an Islington school place for everyone that applies for one and we continue to beat the London average for offers made.

“Seventy five per cent of Islington residents received an offer from their first preference school and 94 per cent one from their top three schools.

“Just three per cent of Islington residents were not offered any of their preferences – compared to five per cent last year. All residents who did not secure a school place through the PLAB co-ordinated process have been allocated a place at an Islington school.”

An Islington Council spokeswoman added that some pupils did not use all six preferences and some did not follow the admission criteria or catchment areas.

Helen Jenner, chairman of the PLAB, said: “It is important to emphasise that, however proficient the admission system is – and our arrangements in London are about as efficient and fair as it is possible to have – it cannot create extra places at the most popular schools.”