Barking and Dagenham has once again placed first in London for the number of families securing their first‑choice primary school place, according to figures released today on National Offer Day.

New data from the Pan London Admissions Board shows that 95.32 per cent of pupils (2,831 children) living in Barking and Dagenham were offered a place at their first preference primary school for September 2026. This significantly exceeds the London average of 88.39 per cent, placing the borough top of all London local authorities.

The deadline for parents and carers to apply for a primary school place was 15 January 2026, with Barking and Dagenham Council receiving 2,970 applications.

Overall, 99.28 per cent of families (2,949 pupils) were offered a place at one of their preferred schools, again outperforming the London‑wide average of 98.27 per cent.

Barking and Dagenham ranked first among all London boroughs for highest proportion of first‑preference offers, ahead of Hillingdon, Enfield, Tower Hamlets and Sutton.

Parents and carers are now being encouraged to accept their school place offer by the deadline of Thursday 30 April 2026.