Gidea Park Primary School was the most oversubscribed primary in the borough last year, according to data from Havering Council about the September 2024 cohort.
The school offered out 60 places during the allocations process in April 2024, but 384 parents put it down as one of their preferences for their child’s school.
This is more than six times as many children as places available.
Other schools which were highly oversubscribed in 2024 included Nelmes Primary and Scotts Primary in Hornchurch, with four and five times as much demand as places.
READ MORE: Best and worst performing Havering primary schools revealed
Ardleigh Green Infant School was named as a preference by more than 400 parents, but also had among the highest number of places to offer out at 90.
Dame Tipping Church of England Primary, in Havering-atte-Bower, had the smallest number of places at 15, and yet still had twice as many parents marking it as one of their preferences.
The data from last year comes as the admissions deadline for September 2025 approaches.
Parents of children aged three and four have until January 15 to submit their application to secure their child’s place at primary school.
Applications should be made via Havering Council’s website, and involve parents choosing up to six preferences for schools they wish their child to attend.
READ MORE: Havering’s school absence statistics 2023 revealed
In 2024, almost 90 per cent of Havering three- and four-year-olds got offered a place at their first choice primary school.
Only 26 children were offered their fourth to sixth preferences.
Havering Council has to ensure every child has a school place, and said that where they cannot offer a school listed as a preference they will “allocate a place at the closest school to the home address with a vacancy after all other offers have been made”.
Top 5 most oversubscribed primary schools in Havering in 2024
- Gidea Park Primary School – 60 places offered, 384 preferences expressed
- Nelmes Primary School – 60 places offered, 301 preferences expressed
- Ardleigh Green Infant School – 90 places offered, 401 preferences expressed
- Scotts Primary School – 60 places offered, 256 preferences expressed
- Branfil Primary School – 60 places offered, 219 preferences expressed
