A total of 129 children missed out on places at their families’ chosen secondary schools in Hackney this year.

Rising pupil numbers saw 2218 year six applicants compete for 2056 places at the borough’s state schools.

Sixty-six per cent secured their first preference - higher than the London average of 65 per cent – and 94 per cent won a place at one of their top six schools.

The parents of the remaining 129 pupils will now have to choose between accepting one of the 70 places still available at either Our Lady’s, Cardinal Pole or Hackney Free – and finding a school outside the borough.

A spokeswoman for the Learning Trust said: “We are confident that there will be sufficient places available in local schools, including in Hackney, for the parents who were not able to secure a place at one of their preference schools.

“We have an independent advisor who will be working directly with each child and their parent to find the right place for them.”

Around twenty per cent of Hackney parents choose schools outside of the borough, research has shown.

Meanwhile, 94 per cent of primary school applicants secured places at one of their preferred schools, with 81 per cent getting their first choice.