According to official figures, almost three out of four young people in Barking and Dagenham will attend their first choice secondary school from this September.
Following a multi-million-pound school expansion programme, the council has been able to successfully place more young people in the preferred schools.
On 1 March parents who submitted applications on time received the news of where their child will be going to secondary school.
The figures reveal that out of the 3,452 applications, 2,534 (73.4 per cent) of 11-year-olds have been offered their first choice school, which is firmly above the London average of 65.9 per cent.
The borough is currently experiencing higher demands for secondary school places compared to other parts of London, it saw an increase of 137 applications (3.97 per cent) this year whilst the rest of London only saw a 3.02 per cent increase.
For those who did not manage to be successfully placed at their first choice school, Barking and Dagenham also outperformed the London average for placing pupils at one of their top three preferences with 89.8 per cent of applicants receiving offers compared to the average of 86.35 per cent.
Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and School Improvement said: “The number of children that require a secondary school place in the borough continues to increase each year so I am delighted to see that so many parents have secured their preferred place.
“To once again perform well above the London average is a credit to the work we have done to prepare to meet rising demand for school places. I would also like to say a huge well done to the schools who continue to excel despite the demand put on them.”
