A secondary school in Ilford has been named the most in-demand state secondary in England, after receiving more applications per place than any other school in the country.
Seven Kings School attracted 1,445 applications for just 53 places for 2026/27 entry — the equivalent of 27.3 applications for every place on offer, according to Department for Education data analysed by SchoolFacts.
That put it ahead of The Royal School in Wolverhampton, which recorded 25.1 applications per place, and every other state secondary in England.
The ranking is based on the ratio of applications made by parents to the number of places available, using all preferences as well as first choices.
“A tremendous honour”
Executive headteacher Jane Waters said: “We are humbled by the trust our community continues to place in Seven Kings School.”
“To be recognised as the most oversubscribed school in England again is a tremendous honour.”
“We are proud of our inclusive community, our passionate staff and our ambitious students.”
She added: “Our commitment remains to provide an exceptional education for every young person through mixed ability teaching, ensuring all our young people have the opportunity to thrive, achieve excellence and make a positive contribution to society.”
“We believe to thrive children should be happy, feel safe and importantly, feel agency in their own lives and within society itself; our social action work is central to this.”
Redbridge’s most sought-after schools
Within Redbridge itself, Seven Kings also led the rankings for first choices per place, with 259 families naming it as their first choice for the 53 spaces — an average of 4.89 first choices per place.
Ark Isaac Newton Academy followed in second place, with 181 first choices for 83 places, or 2.2 per place. Woodford County High School followed at 1.9, then Valentines High School at 1.6, and Ilford County High School and Woodbridge High School at 1.4 each.
The figures show just how tight the competition for places has become. According to SchoolFacts, the last place offered at Seven Kings for September 2026 went to a child living 0.563 miles from the school, measured on walking distance. That catchment has narrowed sharply in recent years — the last offer went to 0.424 miles in 2025 and 0.337 miles in 2024.
At Ark Isaac Newton Academy the last place went at 0.653 miles, at Woodbridge High School at 0.976 miles and at Valentines High School at 1.150 miles. Redbridge Council measures walking distance, not a straight line, when allocating places.
Laurens Bruynseels, founder of SchoolFacts, said: “Seven Kings School drew 1,445 applications for 53 places this year, 27 for every place, more than any other state secondary in England.”
“Because the last offer went to a family living about half a mile away, where you live largely decides whether a school is realistic.”
“We make this data free to search for every state school in England, so parents can see it before they apply, not after.”
Ms Waters added: “We are incredibly grateful to our families for their continued support and trust as their community all through school.”
“We know for our families education is life changing and they deserve nothing less.”
School league tables remain a closely watched part of the admissions season for London parents. Sutton’s secondary schools were ranked in a national league table last month — see how they fared here.
