Eighty-six per cent of children in Lambeth were offered their first-choice primary school on Thursday (April 16), one per cent above the London average.  

Just under eight per cent – 208 children – were offered their second choice, while two per cent did not get into a preferred school. 

Just under three per cent got their third preference, 0.79 per cent got their fourth preference, 0.26 per cent got their fifth, while 0.15 per cent got their sixth.  

Lambeth received 2,674 applications for primary school places this year, and all were offered a place at a primary school in the borough.  

Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Deciding on your child’s first school is a difficult time for any family, but it has been especially stressful this year, amid this unprecedented period of disruption for all our pupils and our schools.  

“Despite the Covid-19 shutdown, however, staff across London have been working hard to ensure that pupils will have their school places for September. 

“This is a tremendous achievement in itself, but the fact that Lambeth has managed to offer a reception place to every family that applied is something for us all to be proud of. 

“All those families, and all our new pupils, can now start planning for the new school year with renewed confidence.  

“We look forward to schools re-opening once the lockdown has been lifted.” 

Across London, 97 per cent of children due to start primary school this September were offered a place at one of their preferred schools. 

London primary schools received 97,353 applications in total this year, a 0.78 per cent increase compared to last year.