The School Admissions team processes applications for school places for children between the ages of 4 and 16.
Please Note: If you have a query concerning a school application, that has been submitted to e-admission please contact our Admissions team on:
020 8215 3004 or email infos@lbbd.gov.uk or admissions@lbbd.gov.uk
Please do not contact e-admissions directly.
For Interest List positions, please telephone our Admissions team on 0208 215 3004
Nursery admissions
Our team does not process applications for nursery places. Instead, each of our schools process parents requests.
Please contact our Family Information Service (FIS) and they will provide you with full information for children born from today until 1 September .
In-year admissions
How to change schools during the school year, or if you have recently moved to the borough and need a school place now You must apply to our School Admissions Team direct, not to the schools themselves.
Year 11 school places
This information applies to pupils who will be applying for a school place in Year 11. Year 11 is a crucial year when pupils take GCSE exams.
If your child has a year 11 school place we strongly advise that you do not ask for them to transfer to another school unless there are exceptional circumstances. This is because a move at this time will cause serious disruption to their education and may disadvantage them. We suggest that you should consider moving your child in exceptional circumstances only.
Many of our schools begin GCSE work in year 9. Your child may have been working to a different timeframe. Different schools use different exam boards, and the syllabus may be different. Coursework they have already done may not be relevant. The change may be a source of unnecessary stress. If you or your child has issues with their current school, we advise that you try to resolve these rather than disrupt your child’s GCSE year.
If your child does not have a year 11 school place you should apply for one as soon as possible. We coordinate admissions to all schools within the borough. There are very few vacancies at any of our schools in years 10 and 11 because it is unusual for pupils to leave during these years. We have therefore made alternative arrangements for pupils without a place at school to access suitable education elsewhere, or until a place can be found.
If we consider it appropriate, we will refer a child to suitable alternative provision. A caseworker from our admissions team will contact you as soon as possible, and discuss suitable provision with you.
There are other processes you must follow if:
Starting school (children aged 3 and 4)
Information on application process for starting school
The Reception School application process is now open for September . You need to apply for a Reception year school place if your child is born between 1 September to 31 August . They will start in Reception from September .
To apply online for a Reception school place visit www.eadmissions.org.uk by the closing date 15 January . You will be provided with an Application Reference Number it will begin 301-2024-09-E-XXXXXX. Please keep a note of this reference number once you have submitted your preferences as you will need to quote this number throughout your Reception application process. This is your receipt that you have successfully submitted your application, you will get an email confirmation and be given an application reference number as like above.
You can make as many amendments to your application before the closing date of 15 January , you need to log into your e-admissions account to do this. Please read all the e-booklets and quick guides which explains the process in greater details.
Applications received after 15 January are classed as ‘late’.
These ‘late’ applications are processed after applications that are on time. Late applicants are less likely to get a place at their preferred school. If we cannot offer your child a place at one of your preferences or you do not fill in and return your application form, and you live in this borough, we will give your child a place in any school in the borough with a space.
If you wish to make any changes to your application after the closing the closing date of 15 January , you will need to wait until after you receive your offers on National Offer Day 16 April - e.g. change the school that you have been offered from your original application or the order of your school preference choice) after submitting your application. From 17 April , the Change my school preference form which will be available on our school admission webpage.
Please take the time to refresh yourself with the next stages of the school admission process, which can be found in our Starting School Full time in e-booklet of the school admission e-booklet.
Starting school
If your child was born between 1 September and 31 August , they may start school full time in September . This move is not an automatic process and you will need to apply for a place at the schools you would like your child to go to. You must apply for a place even if your child is already at the school's nursery or has a brother or sister at that school.
The admissions process will start on 1 November . Do not apply for a school place until this date.
School places are not offered based on who applies first. If you apply now, you put your chance of getting a place at your preferred school at risk if you do not follow the process in the e-booklet which will be published on 1 November.
Please wait until November to apply for a school place, when full information about making your application will be available.
The closing date for Reception applications will be 15 January. You must have your application submitted by this date.
National Offer Day is on 16 April . You will be notified of your preference offered school(s) via email that you registered with e-admissions on. Please check your spam or junk email if you have not received your offers.
You must remember to accept the offer by 30 April. If you have difficulties accepting the offer online, please email infos@lbbd.gov.uk and we can accept the offer on your behalf. Remember to include your child’s name, date of birth and your application number (e.g. 301-2024-09-E-0043572) within your email.
Interest List Positions
If you wish to know what position your child is on the interest list for a school you have requested, you will need to telephone our admission telephone line on 020 8215 3004, we will not respond to any emails asking what position your child is on the interest list.
You have a right to appeal to an independent appeal panel if we do not offer your child a place at your preferred school
To appeal for a place at one of our schools you will need to complete the online appeal form below. The school appeals guidance notes explain how to appeal against our decision.
Use one form for each child for any of our schools.
Important information
If you change your preferences and do not list the schools you are appealing for on your most up to date common application form, we will withdraw your appeal.
The appeal will be heard by an independent appeal panel of three people, who have no connection with the school or the School Admissions team.
The appeal panel’s decision is final and everyone must accept it.
Under the School Admission Appeals Code 2012, appeals should be heard within 30 school days of the date the appeal is made.
The academic year ends around mid to late July each year (and there is a half-term holiday in late May or early June), so if you make your appeal after the last Monday in May, it may not be considered within that academic year.
We will let you know if this applies to you.
Important note for infant class size limit
By law, reception, year 1 and year 2 classes (also known as Key Stage 1) must not contain more than 30 pupils with a single teacher – this is known as infant class size prejudice.
So for Key Stage 1 classes that already have 30 pupils, the panel should only allow an appeal in exceptional circumstances. As a result of this, Key Stage 1 cases have a very limited chance of being successful.
Appealing for schools outside the borough
If you want to appeal for a place in a school outside Barking and Dagenham, you will need to contact the relevant admissions authority (local authority or school) for more details about how to appeal.
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