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Secondary school offers in Barking and Dagenham: offer day 2027

National Offer Day Monday 1 March 2027 · 12 secondary schools · first-choice odds, waiting lists and appeals

How likely is a first choice here?

For September 2026 entry, 81.9% of families living in Barking and Dagenham were offered their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England. 110 families (3.6%) were offered none of the schools they named. Barking and Dagenham ranks 61 of 150 councils in England, hardest first (see every council).

3 of its 12 secondary schools had more first-choice applications than places.

The most sought-after, by first-choice applications per place offered: All Saints Catholic School and Technology College (1.2 per place), Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College (1.2 per place), The Sydney Russell School (1.0 per place), The Warren School (1.0 per place), Jo Richardson Community School (1.0 per place).

If you didn't get your first choice

  1. Accept the place you were offered by the date in your offer letter. Accepting it does not affect a waiting list or an appeal, and a place that isn't accepted can be withdrawn.
  2. Get on the waiting lists you want. Every school must keep one until at least 31 December of the year your child starts. It is ranked by the school's admission rules, not by when you joined, so a family moving closer can go above you. Some councils add you automatically for schools you ranked higher than the one offered; your offer letter says which.
  3. Decide whether to appeal. You can appeal for every school that refused your child. You get at least 20 school days from the offer to lodge it, and on-time appeals must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The figures below show how often appeals succeed here.
  4. Look at schools that took lower preferences. These are the likeliest to have room now.

Schools that took children who ranked them lower

For September 2026 entry these 9 schools offered more places than they had first-choice applications, so some went to families who put them second or lower. They are the likeliest to have room after offer day; ask Barking and Dagenham or the school.

Every secondary school: demand for 2026 entry

Sorted by first-choice applications per place, the most contested first.

SchoolPlaces offeredFirst choices per place First choices offered
All Saints Catholic School and Technology College
Dagenham
240 1.2 72%
Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College
Barking
359 1.2 76%
The Sydney Russell School
Dagenham
357 1.0 70%
The Warren School
Romford
240 1.0 85%
Jo Richardson Community School
Dagenham
299 1.0 85%
Goresbrook School
Dagenham
124 0.9 65%
Greatfields School
Barking
166 0.9 100%
Dagenham Park CofE School
Dagenham
170 0.9 100%
Robert Clack School
Dagenham
507 0.8 99%
Riverside School
Barking
294 0.7 100%
Eastbrook School
Dagenham
117 0.6 99%
Eastbury Community School
Barking
170 0.6 100%

Places offered is the number of offers made on national offer day, and first choices offered the share of families who put the school first and got it (Department for Education, September 2026 entry).

Appeals in Barking and Dagenham

YearAppeals lodgedHeard by a panel UpheldShare of heard appeals upheld
2025/26137 74 11 14.9%
2024/25103 62 6 9.7%
2023/24184 129 11 8.5%

Secondary school appeals across all of Barking and Dagenham, from the Department for Education. Appeals are not published school by school. Across England in 2025/26, 19.5% of 27,084 secondary appeals heard were upheld. How appeal odds differ between councils.

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