More than a quarter of Islington’s children starting in September will not be at their first choice school.
A total of 537 children, 25.8 per cent, were allocated a school place that was their second choice or lower, while 144 were allocated a place at a school not listed as one of their six choices.
In all 2,081 applications were submitted for children living in Islington, with 74.2pc gaining a place at their first choice school.
The success rate of children who put an Islington school as their first choice was slightly higher with about 80pc being successful – many children are thought to have prioritised a place at schools in neighbouring borough’s such as Camden.
The only London boroughs that had a lower percentage of children getting their first choice were Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth – 17 children in Islington will start school at their sixth choice in September.
An Islington Council spokesman said: “Islington has many good and outstanding primary schools. Only seven per cent of pupils did not obtain a place in one of their preferred schools. However, all of these children have been provided with alternative schools to choose from within the borough.”
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