Haberdashers' Abraham Darby: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 110 families put Haberdashers' Abraham Darby as their first choice and 427 named it as one of their preferences, for 173 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 172 in 2021 to 110 in 2026, while places went from 177 to 173.
Telford and Wrekin published that the last place offered for 2026 entry went to a family 43146 metres away. The cut-off moves every year with the number of applications.
Across Telford and Wrekin, 76% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 90% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Telford and Wrekin lodged 130 appeals against secondary school offers; 95 reached a hearing and 22 succeeded (23.2% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 173 | 110 | 427 | 0.6 | 6 |
| 2025 | 175 | 129 | 400 | 0.7 | 9 |
| 2024 | 179 | 123 | 388 | 0.7 | 13 |
| 2023 | 176 | 149 | 442 | 0.8 | 15 |
| 2022 | 172 | 134 | 421 | 0.8 | 17 |
| 2021 | 177 | 172 | 478 | 1.0 | 26 |
| 2020 | 177 | 187 | 520 | 1.1 | 36 |
| 2019 | 178 | 215 | 536 | 1.2 | 60 |
| 2018 | 176 | 182 | 512 | 1.0 | 42 |
| 2017 | 179 | 168 | 499 | 0.9 | 27 |
| 2016 | 178 | 176 | 638 | 1.0 | 29 |
| 2015 | 181 | 166 | 607 | 0.9 | 29 |
| 2014 | 180 | 179 | 550 | 1.0 | 14 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.
Last distance offered
| Entry year | Last place offered | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 43146 metres | Telford and Wrekin |
Figures as each council published them, in the unit it used. The cut-off is not a boundary: it moves every year with the number of applications.