Half of London's boroughs has received more applications for secondary school than there are available school places, it has been estimated.

The Good Schools Guide released figures from the 2017/18 schoo year's Offers Day, which shows 12 of the 32 boroughs received more applications than they had school places, and a further six councils had 5 per cent or less surplus school places.

In Barnet, the statistics show there was only an 11 per cent surplus of school places last year, and 68.7 per cent of applicants received their first preference of schools.

The figures show 12.8 per cent of applicants got their second choice, and 5.3 got their third, with 8.2 per cent being offered schools which were not on their preferred list.

Bernadette John, director at The Good Schools Guide, said: "Once again, many London parents will be waiting in grim anticipation of news of where their children will go to school in September.

"The trickle of new schools in the capital is still not enough to keep up and we will continue to see demand for year seven places grow until at least 2022.

"To rub further salt in the wound, London parents who wish to challenge a school place decision have the worst rate of success for appeals in the country."

Across the capital, 68 per cent of the applicants were given their first choice school and six per cent were allocated a school which had not been listed on the six choices.

The number of applications in London also increased by 2 per cent from 2016 to 2017, and London had the lowest rate in England for applicants being awarded a place at their first choice school in 2017.

In Barnet, the Ark Pioneer Academy was given planning permission to build in High Barnet, to help ease the pressure on school places.

Barnet Council has said this year, 70 per cent of those who applied secured a palce at their first choice school, and 86 per cent were offered at least one of their top three preferences.

A spokesperson also confirmed every parent who applied on time for a secondary school place has received an offer of a place.

Cllr Reuben Thompstone, chairman of the children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee, said: "As Barnet’s population continues to grow, the demand for secondary places is increasing each year as the bulge in primary school pupil numbers feeds through to secondary level.

"As in previous years, the popularity of our excellent schools has led to a high demand for places and it’s pleasing that we have been able to accommodate our residents by helping them secure a place for every pupil who applied on time."