Noel-Baker Academy: 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, 210 families put Noel-Baker Academy as their first choice and 379 named it as one of their preferences, for 257 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.
Demand has been fairly steady: 184 first choices in 2021, against 210 in 2026.
Across Derby, 82% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 96% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Derby lodged 374 appeals against secondary school offers; 309 reached a hearing and 65 succeeded (21% 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 | 257 | 210 | 379 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 274 | 243 | 383 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 278 | 259 | 382 | 0.9 | 11 |
| 2023 | 279 | 275 | 390 | 1.0 | 19 |
| 2022 | 259 | 213 | 305 | 0.8 | 2 |
| 2021 | 263 | 184 | 280 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2020 | 220 | 156 | 239 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 134 | 96 | 176 | 0.7 | 2 |
| 2018 | 239 | 184 | 293 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2017 | 268 | 291 | 381 | 1.1 | 46 |
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.