The students in Redbridge really are top of the class with more pupils going on to university that anywhere else in the country.

Redbridge came top in the country for sixth formers in state education going to university, according to statistics published by the Department of Education.

The figures, released on Thursday, reveal that two in three students (66 per cent) went on to university in 2010/11. The national average was is 56 per cent.

Cllr Alan Weinberg, the cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Once again we’ve topped the table. “Redbridge students outperform many their contemporaries year after year, and it’s a great accolade for our young people, their parents and the teaching staff in the borough.”

He said young people in Redbridge were ambitious and had aspirations which will help them when they enter the job market.

“A decent education is the cornerstone of success for the rest of our lives,” he said. “For those who decide that university is the next step for them, Redbridge is giving them a seriously good head start.”

The trend looks set to continue as, despite tuition fees being ratcheted up, many students say they are still prepared to go.

One student who said he has benefited from being educated in Redbridge is Muhammed Sultan, 20, who came to the UK from Pakistan four years ago speaking no English.

He enrolled at Redbridge College, Barley Lane, Little Heath and has just been accepted at Brunel University to study law.

“I’m going because I think I will get a better job and it will help me in the long term. It’s been great. I have had very supportive teachers and now I’m confident to go to university.”

Fellow student at the college Anis Bashir, 19, of Redbridge has just completed a business BTEC.

He is now heading to Kings College London to study economics and management.

“I wanted to progress to higher education to learn more about my subject,” he said. “I think it will be a bit of a fall back - you have a degree and are willing to learn more about the subject.”