The hardest schools to get into in Thurrock
Secondary: 374 families put Harris Academy Chafford Hundred first in 2026 and 196 of them (52%) were offered a place.
Reception: 96 families put Quarry Hill Academy first in 2026 and 57 of them (59%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Thurrock with at least 20 first-choice applicants, hardest first. Of the families who put the school first on their application, the share who were offered a place there. Data: Department for Education.
Secondary schools (Year 7)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris Academy Chafford Hundred · Grays | 374 | 196 (52%) | 207 |
| 2 | St Clere's School · Stanford-le-Hope | 288 | 217 (75%) | 236 |
| 3 | Orsett Heath Academy · Grays | 256 | 199 (78%) | 235 |
| 4 | Thames Park Secondary School · Grays | 176 | 141 (80%) | 171 |
| 5 | Harris Academy Ockendon · South Ockendon | 265 | 217 (82%) | 236 |
| 6 | The Gateway Academy · Grays | 234 | 196 (84%) | 208 |
| 7 | Harris Academy Riverside · Purfleet | 148 | 130 (88%) | 180 |
| 8 | Ormiston Park Academy · South Ockendon | 67 | 63 (94%) | 118 |
| 9 | The Hathaway Academy · Grays | 56 | 54 (96%) | 110 |
| 10 | Mossbourne Fobbing Academy · Stanford-le-Hope | 87 | 86 (99%) | 126 |
| 11 | William Edwards School · Grays | 90 | 90 (100%) | 159 |
| 12 | Grays Convent High School · Grays · faith | 82 | 82 (100%) | 137 |
| 13 | Mossbourne Port Side Academy · Stanford-le-Hope | 43 | 43 (100%) | 85 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quarry Hill Academy · Grays | 96 | 57 (59%) | 58 |
| 2 | Abbots Hall Primary School · Stanford-le-Hope | 90 | 58 (64%) | 60 |
| 3 | Dilkes Academy · South Ockendon | 87 | 60 (69%) | 60 |
| 4 | Graham James Primary Academy · Stanford-le-Hope | 73 | 56 (77%) | 59 |
| 5 | Arthur Bugler Primary School · Stanford-le-Hope | 64 | 51 (80%) | 58 |
| 6 | Stifford Clays Primary School · Grays | 69 | 55 (80%) | 57 |
| 7 | St Mary's Catholic Primary School · Tilbury · faith | 36 | 29 (81%) | 30 |
| 8 | Giffards Primary School · Stanford-le-Hope | 62 | 52 (84%) | 60 |
| 9 | Harris Primary Academy Mayflower · Chafford Hundred | 153 | 134 (88%) | 149 |
| 10 | Harris Primary Academy Chafford Hundred · Grays | 96 | 85 (89%) | 88 |
| 11 | Stanford-Le-Hope Primary School · Stanford-le-Hope | 43 | 39 (91%) | 58 |
| 12 | Horndon-On-the-Hill CofE Primary School · Stanford-le-Hope · faith | 26 | 24 (92%) | 30 |
| 13 | Orsett Church of England Primary School · Grays · faith | 29 | 27 (93%) | 30 |
| 14 | Holy Cross Catholic Primary School · South Ockendon · faith | 22 | 21 (96%) | 22 |
| 15 | Chadwell St Mary Primary School · Grays | 25 | 24 (96%) | 28 |
| 16 | Kenningtons Primary Academy · South Ockendon | 55 | 53 (96%) | 59 |
| 17 | Aveley Primary School · South Ockendon | 35 | 34 (97%) | 37 |
| 18 | Woodside Academy · Grays | 62 | 61 (98%) | 69 |
| 19 | Lansdowne Primary Academy · Tilbury | 75 | 74 (99%) | 81 |
| 20 | Belmont Castle Academy · Grays | 88 | 87 (99%) | 90 |
| 21 | Thameside Primary School · Grays | 80 | 80 (100%) | 86 |
| 22 | East Tilbury Primary School · East Tilbury | 71 | 71 (100%) | 77 |
| 23 | Little Thurrock Primary School · Grays | 69 | 69 (100%) | 75 |
| 24 | Purfleet Primary Academy · Purfleet-on-Thames | 67 | 67 (100%) | 68 |
| 25 | Tudor Court Primary School · Grays | 59 | 59 (100%) | 60 |
| 26 | Warren Primary School · Grays | 56 | 56 (100%) | 60 |
| 27 | Deneholm Primary School · Grays | 56 | 56 (100%) | 57 |
| 28 | Tilbury Pioneer Academy · Tilbury | 51 | 51 (100%) | 55 |
| 29 | Herringham Primary Academy · Grays | 47 | 47 (100%) | 49 |
| 30 | Bonnygate Primary School · South Ockendon | 42 | 42 (100%) | 48 |
| 31 | St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School · Grays · faith | 41 | 41 (100%) | 45 |
| 32 | The Gateway Primary Free School · Grays | 41 | 41 (100%) | 45 |
| 33 | West Thurrock Academy · Grays | 40 | 40 (100%) | 45 |
| 34 | Somers Heath Primary School · South Ockendon | 37 | 37 (100%) | 46 |
| 35 | Benyon Primary School · South Ockendon | 32 | 32 (100%) | 41 |
| 36 | Mossbourne Herd Lane Academy · Stanford-le-Hope | 32 | 32 (100%) | 41 |
| 37 | Shaw Primary Academy · South Ockendon | 29 | 29 (100%) | 32 |
Getting into a school in Thurrock
What is the hardest school to get into in Thurrock?
For secondary places, 374 families put Harris Academy Chafford Hundred first in 2026 and 196 of them (52%) were offered a place. For Reception, 96 families put Quarry Hill Academy first and 57 of them (59%) were offered a place.
How many families in Thurrock get their first-choice school?
74.8% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 90.1% of those applying for Reception did (offers for September 2026).
Does putting a school first improve our chances?
Not at the other schools you name. Councils in England use an equal-preference system: every school you list is considered against its own admissions criteria, and if more than one could offer a place you get the one you ranked highest. So list schools in your genuine order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get.
What does "last distance offered" mean?
For schools that give places by distance, it is how far from the school the last child offered a place under that criterion lived. It changes every year with the number and location of applicants, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. We show it where Thurrock published it in its admissions booklet.