School admissions in Hornchurch
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 16 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Hornchurch in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 13 schools in Hornchurch first 805 times for 743 places: 1.08 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Havering authority's 50 schools. 5 of the 13 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 6 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.46 miles (Ardleigh Green Infant School) to 1.46 miles (Hacton Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 5 schools in Hornchurch first 637 times for 837 places: 0.76 first choices per place, against 0.99 across the Havering authority's 18 schools. One of the 5 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Sanders Draper, to 2.25 miles.
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
13 schools. 5 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardleigh Green Infant School | 1.46 | 90 | 0.746 km (≈0.46 mi) |
| Scotts Primary School | 1.41 | 59 | 0.989 km (≈0.61 mi) |
| Nelmes Primary School | 1.35 | 60 | 1.081 km (≈0.67 mi) |
| Harrow Lodge Primary School | 1.23 | 60 | 1.363 km (≈0.85 mi) |
| Hacton Primary School | 1.02 | 87 | 2.348 km (≈1.46 mi) |
| St Alban's Catholic Primary School | 1.00 | 30 | not published |
| Towers Infant School | 0.99 | 90 | 1.122 km (≈0.70 mi) |
| Benhurst Primary School | 0.96 | 45 | 1.139 km (≈0.71 mi) |
| Elm Park Primary School | 0.88 | 51 | 1.221 km (≈0.76 mi) |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | 0.86 | 59 | not published |
| R J Mitchell Primary School | 0.80 | 15 | 4.2364 km (≈2.63 mi) |
| Suttons Primary School | 0.80 | 50 | 2.008 km (≈1.25 mi) |
| Langtons Infant School & Nursery | 0.79 | 47 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
5 schools. 1 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Campion School | 1.10 | 147 | not published |
| Sanders Draper | 0.91 | 147 | 3.627 km (≈2.25 mi) |
| Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College | 0.80 | 168 | 3.948 km (≈2.45 mi) |
| Hornchurch High School | 0.62 | 165 | not published |
| Emerson Park Academy | 0.50 | 210 | 5.9 km (≈3.67 mi) |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.