School admissions: Which are west London's most oversubscribed schools?

With the closing date for secondary school applications drawing in (October 31), the pressure is building for parents across west London to get their child a place into their first-choice school.

However, places at top schools are becoming increasingly hard to get hold of, with one west London school attracting more than 14 applications for every place.

Ark Academy, in Brent, received 2,592 applications for just 180 places last year, making it the most oversubscribed school in west London.

Less than a fifth of applicants who stated Ark Academy as their first choice were successful in securing a place.

Wembley High Technology College was the second most oversubscribed secondary school, receiving 12.5% more applications than it was able to accommodate.

West London Free School, in Hammersmith, and Reach Academy, in Feltham,received nine and eight applications per place respectively.

Schools which are easier to get into include Heston Community School, where 93.1% of first-choice applications were successful, and Bishopshalt School, in Uxbridge, where 99.7% of first-choice applications were successful.

The figures were accessed from a Freedom of Information request sent to local councils. Schools which handle their own admissions processes are not included here.

All schools have specific guidelines on their application procedure and method used for allocating places.

After children with special needs, children with siblings in the school get precedence, along with children of members of staff at the school.

Remaining places are allocated to those who live closest to the school in question, generally measured in a straight line from the school gates.

With no links to a school and with your postcode not close enough to be considered, parents have little chance of a successful outcome if they are appealing an admissions decision.

For younger children, Spring Grove Primary School, in Hounslow, is the most oversubscribed primary school in the area, receiving 399 applications for just 30 places.

Most applicants to Grove Road Primary School, also in Hounslow, and John Betts Primary School, in Hammersmith, were also unlucky, with each school receiving over 300 applications for their respective 30 places.

Applications to secondary schools throughout west London can be made on the admissions website here.

Find out how your nearest secondary school rates by seeing our school ratings page here.