Merton’s students are among the most well-educated in the country, new figures have shown.

League tables published by the Department of Education show Merton is in the top five local authorities in England for the proportion of students progressing on to higher education, 67 per cent.

The borough is also in the tenth for the proportion of students, 15 per cent, who study at the elite Russell Group of universities.

The council’s cabinet member for education, Councillor Martin Whelton, said: “This is wonderful news for Merton and testament to the hard work and commitment of our young people and teaching staff. 

“It is fantastic that we are one of the leading boroughs when it comes to our young people going on to the top universities and into higher education.   

“Education is key to their life chances, and equips them with the necessary qualifications they will need to help them gain employment.

“Raising participation in higher education is essential to achieving that goal, and I hope that we’ll continue to see high numbers of Merton’s young people progress to university.”

Got a story for us? Call 020 8722 6333, tweet @WimbledonNews or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.