Hundreds of Year 7 entries were made for children to attend secondary schools across Barking and Dagenham this year - but which schools saw the highest demand?
Data has been taken from the Department for Education's (DfE) school-level admissions data for 2026-27 and analysed by SchoolFacts, founded by Laurens Bruynseels.
It shows that Robert Clack School in Gosfield Road, Dagenham was the most in-demand with 430 first-choice applications registered by parents.
Barking Abbey School in Sandringham Road, Barking saw the next highest number of first-choice applications with a total of 423, followed by The Sydney Russell School with 361 and Jo Richardson Community School with 296.
A quarter of the 12 secondary schools with Year 7 data received more first-choices than places.
All Saints Catholic School and Technology College saw 287 first-choice applications for 240 places, averaging out to 1.2 per place.
Barking Abbey School registered 423 for 359 - an average of 1.18 per place - and The Sydney Russell School average 1.01 with 361 first-choice applications made for 357 available places.
The Warren School finished one short of the line, with 239 first choices for 240 places.
Counting all preferences - not just first-choice applications - Goresbrook School in Dagenham's Cook Road drew 559 applications for 124 places - 4.5 per place.
Havering's most in-demand secondary school was Redden Court School in Cotswold Road, Harold Wood with a total of 427 first-choice applications made for only 197 places in Year 7.
This averaged out to 2.2 applications made per place.
The Coopers' Company and Coborn School in St Marys Lane, Upminster followed, with 383 applications followed by Hall Mead School in Upminster's Marlborough Gardens with 241 first-choice applications.
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