School admissions in Loughton
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 5 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.
Loughton in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 7 schools in Loughton first 363 times for 374 places: 0.97 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Essex authority's 411 schools. 3 of the 7 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.02 miles (The Alderton Infant School and Nursery) to 3.03 miles (Staples Road Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 3 schools in Loughton first 618 times for 608 places: 1.02 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Essex authority's 78 schools. 2 of the 3 had more first choices than places.
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
7 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Beech CofE Primary School | 1.07 | 15 | not published |
| Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery | 1.03 | 60 | 1.213 miles |
| The Alderton Infant School and Nursery | 1.02 | 60 | 1.023 miles |
| Hereward Primary School | 0.97 | 60 | 2.458 miles |
| Staples Road Primary School | 0.94 | 90 | 3.03 miles |
| White Bridge Primary School | 0.92 | 60 | not published |
| St John Fisher Catholic Primary School | 0.90 | 29 | 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
3 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places |
|---|---|---|
| Davenant Foundation School | 1.15 | 185 |
| Debden Park High School | 1.03 | 179 |
| Roding Valley High School | 0.91 | 244 |
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.