A headteacher is celebrating after his school became oversubscribed for the first time in its history.

Carl Wakefield, who heads up Bexleyheath Academy, revealed his joy after being told more children than ever had applied for a place at the Woolwich Road establishment.

The school has space for 300 pupils per year and Mr Wakefield said the school had been 'inundated' with calls from parents asking about the appeals process.

Bexley Council allocates school places for children throughout the borough.

Mr Wakefield, who started at the school in January 2013, said he was 'immensely proud of everyone involved with the school'.

He said: "This is the first time the school has ever had a waiting list of children who want to come to study here.

"We were rated as good by Ofsted in September and that was a big achievement since we came out of special measures in November 2010. "The achievement is testament to the hard work put in by staff and pupils."

Mr Wakefield said he had helped turn the school around by installing more rigorous checks including more lesson observations and by only taking on outstanding staff members.

He added: "I inherited a staff with 13 vacancies and now we have none.

"Whilst we acknowledge we have improved we are not resting on our laurels and there is still a great deal of work to do.

"We want to make this an outstanding school."