Lambeth Academy (http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1394077)

Clapham’s children are less likely than children in almost any other borough in London to get admitted to a secondary school of their choice.

Statistics released by London Councils on Monday showed that Wandsworth was the second worst borough and Lambeth the seventh worst borough for offering children places at their preferred schools.

Just ahead of the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, only 57.82% of children in the borough of Wandsworth got offers for their first preference secondary school this year. Lambeth only offered 4% more places for first preference secondary schools to children than Wandsworth. The average across all boroughs was 67.56%, with the best first preference admissions being in the borough of Bexley.

Macaulay Church of England Primary School said, “Further education is extremely important for a pupil, and so is the institution. The acceptances for first choice secondary schools were slightly lower this year but were accurate when compared to student’s academic ability.”

Fewer than two thirds of children hoping to be offered a place at a Wandsworth school are actually offered one.