Barking and Dagenham College, Romford
Barking and Dagenham College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Romford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Barking and Dagenham College in detail
Barking and Dagenham College in its own words
In its own words: "We're confident of the complete support services that we can offer and are always keen to hear directly from school staff and external Community groups across the region. Please do get in touch - there is no charge. There's lots to discuss together to better support young people’s onward educational journey and their future employability, business start-up and entrepreneurship goals."
From the headteacher's welcome: "At college learners are encouraged to take greater responsibility for their learning and development but they do not do it alone. We recognise the vital role that parents and carers play in helping young people thrive and we are here to support you every step of the way."
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 25 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Barking and Dagenham
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 1142 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 11% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 24% into work. 1% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Romford Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barking & Dagenham College, 70 metres away.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Barking and Dagenham College creates a warm, supportive learning environment where students thrive and develop confidence for their futures. The teaching is high-quality, with tutors using industry-standard equipment and real-world expertise to prepare learners well for work and higher-level study. The college works closely with employers and local services to ensure the curriculum is relevant and addresses community needs.
Key Strengths
- High-quality teaching with significantly improved learner achievement rates
- Calm, supportive environment where learners feel safe and develop maturity and responsibility
- State-of-the-art facilities and resources that prepare learners well for work and further study
- Strong partnerships with employers, NHS trusts, and local stakeholders to keep curriculum relevant
- Excellent support for learners with high needs, tailored to individual progress targets
Areas for Improvement
- Apprenticeships need improvement - too many apprentices fall behind and too few achieve their qualifications
- Limited collaboration between college staff and employers in electrical installation and plumbing apprenticeships
- In some subjects like GCSE English, tutors do not always account for learners' starting points
- Some tutors do not check all learners' understanding before moving on to new topics
- In a few cases, apprenticeship feedback is not specific enough to guide improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - learners feel safe, can easily identify staff to help them, and the college creates a calm and supportive environment.
Barking and Dagenham College is a further education college in London that has improved significantly since its previous inspection, now rated as Good overall. The college serves over 5,000 learners across young people, adults, and apprenticeships, with campuses at Rush Green, the Technical Skills Academy, and the Barking Learning Centre.
About
Barking & Dagenham College is a general further education college in East London, England. It has three campuses across the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham with its main campus being located in Rush Green near Romford.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
c
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
1
A-Level students
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,142 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
1%
Top-third university
43%
Degree course
46%
Any L4+ destination
1%
Apprenticeships
Based on 308 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Latest from Barking and Dagenham College
Project Search graduates celebrated at Queen's Hospital
15 Sep 2026
College celebrates 100% T Level pass rate
8 Sep 2026
Students celebrate exceptional BTEC and T-Level Results Day…
13 Aug 2026
From Barking and Dagenham College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Barking and Dagenham College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Romford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Romford
Across Barking and Dagenham council
Places available
3,518
Applications
3,094
Got 1st preference
81.9%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Barking and Dagenham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
Questions parents ask about Barking and Dagenham College
What is Barking and Dagenham College's Ofsted rating?
Barking and Dagenham College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025.
What is the catchment area for Barking and Dagenham College?
No fixed boundary. When Barking and Dagenham College is oversubscribed, Barking and Dagenham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Barking and Dagenham College?
Apply through Barking and Dagenham's coordinated admissions process, naming Barking and Dagenham College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Barking and Dagenham College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 15 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barking and Dagenham College?
Barking and Dagenham College is at Dagenham Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 0XU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)