Scores of pupils in Hackney have not been offered a place at a single secondary school of their choice for September.
More than 100 primary pupils set to move up to secondary school did not get a place at any of their six preferences.
Meanwhile, a third of the 2,178 applicants – around 715 – were denied a place at their first choice.
Hackney Council and the Pan London Admissions Board (PLAB), which co-ordinates secondary school admissions in the capital, highlighted the fact that 91 per cent of pupils did make it into one of their top three choices, which is in line with the London average.
Helen Jenner, PLAB chairman, 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.”
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