Almost 90 per cent of children in Havering have been offered a place at their first choice primary school.

London Councils data said 89.9pc of children starting school in the borough this September have been offered their preferred choice, slightly above the London average of 89.1pc.

Ray Morgon, Havering Council leader, said: "Havering has one of the fastest growing school populations in the country.

“Meeting parental preferences is always a challenge, but we always strive to do so, as we want pupils to be able to attend the school of their choice."

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More than 96pc of children have been offered one of their top three choices, the council added.

London primary schools received 85,356 total applications in 2024, a 2.2pc decrease from the year before.

Cllr Morgon added that demand for primary school places in Havering had increased while it had fallen in other boroughs, prompting him to praise the school admissions team for their efforts.