London secondary school applications down by 4,000 after fall in birthrate

Places are decided by algorithm using each school’s oversubscription criteria so that each child is awarded the highest preference for which they are eligible. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

London’s secondary schools are following primaries in being hit by an outflow of families from the capital, with 4,000 fewer children applying to start in September.

Admissions figures released on national offer day in England also show that 70% of families in London received their first choice of school, compared with more than 80% nationally.