Park Academy admissions: your chances of a place
How many families wanted a place, how many there were, how far the last place went, and how it compares with the schools around it.
Places available for 2026 entry
Fewer families put Park Academy first (67) than there were places (118) for 2026 entry, but 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there. Demand can change from year to year.
Places offered
118
First choices
67
First choices per place
0.6
Last distance offered
Not published
Will you get a place at Park Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Park Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Park Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Park Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Thurrock, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Park Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Thurrock got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Demand in detail
For September 2026 entry, 67 families put Park Academy as their first choice and 186 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Demand has been fairly steady: 71 first choices in 2021, against 67 in 2026.
Across Thurrock, 75% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 93% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Thurrock lodged 113 appeals against secondary school offers; 100 reached a hearing and 9 succeeded (9% of those heard).
First choices and places at Park Academy, 2017 to 2026
First choices have not clearly exceeded places in the years we hold.
- 2017
- 73128
- 2018
- 104172
- 2019
- 97179
- 2020
- 68180
- 2021
- 71121
- 2022
- 92140
- 2023
- 89180
- 2024
- 73147
- 2025
- 5189
- 2026
- 67118
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 118 | 67 | 186 | 0.6 | 4 |
| 2025 | 89 | 51 | 186 | 0.6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 147 | 73 | 225 | 0.5 | 1 |
| 2023 | 180 | 89 | 221 | 0.5 | 4 |
| 2022 | 140 | 92 | 188 | 0.7 | 1 |
| 2021 | 121 | 71 | 148 | 0.6 | 1 |
| 2020 | 180 | 68 | 185 | 0.4 | 2 |
| 2019 | 179 | 97 | 194 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 2018 | 172 | 104 | 213 | 0.6 | 5 |
| 2017 | 128 | 73 | 162 | 0.6 | 2 |
| 2016 | 179 | 74 | 160 | 0.4 | 3 |
| 2015 | 107 | 67 | 123 | 0.6 | 4 |
| 2014 | 109 | 86 | 147 | 0.8 | 4 |
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.
How hard the nearest schools are to get into
Councils in England let families name between three and six schools. A realistic back-up is a nearby school with spare places.
| School | Distance | Places | First choices per place | Last distance offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Academy Ockendon | 1.1 miles | 236 | 1.1 (2026) | - |
| Harris Academy Riverside | 1.9 miles | 180 | 0.8 (2026) | - |
| Harris Academy Rainham | 2.3 miles | 184 | 0.9 (2026) | - |
| Harris Academy Chafford Hundred | 2.3 miles | 207 | 1.8 (2026) | - |
| Gaynes School | 2.8 miles | 145 | 0.5 (2026) | - |
| The Hathaway Academy | 3.3 miles | 110 | 0.5 (2026) | - |
Straight-line distance from Park Academy. Below 1.0 means fewer first choices than places.
Who gets priority
Park Academy is its own admission authority: the school (or its trust) sets its admissions policy and oversubscription criteria, and publishes them on its website. You still apply through Thurrock.
In England, a child whose education, health and care plan names the school is admitted first. Then, when there are more applicants than places, looked-after and previously looked-after children come first, followed by the school's own criteria, which usually include siblings and distance from home.
Joining during the school year
Park Academy has 594 pupils for 750 places. That leaves room across the school, so places outside the normal entry year may come up. Moving mid-year? Apply through Thurrock's in-year admissions process or, for some schools, directly to the school.
How and when to apply
Secondary school (Year 7) applications for September 2027 close in 5 days, on Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply through Thurrock; offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
Name the schools in your true order of preference: ranking a school first does not reduce your chances anywhere else. See Thurrock admissions dates and figures.
Questions about getting into Park Academy
Will I get a place at Park Academy?
Fewer families put Park Academy first (67) than there were places (118) for 2026 entry, but 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there. Demand can change from year to year.
Is Park Academy oversubscribed?
Not in the 13 years we hold (2014 to 2026): first choices never clearly exceeded the places offered.
How far away does Park Academy offer places?
We don't hold a published cut-off distance for Park Academy. Ask Thurrock or the school whether they publish one; councils that do usually include it in their admissions booklet.
What can I do if I don't get a place at Park Academy?
Accept the offer you do get, so your child has a school, then ask to go on Park Academy's waiting list and consider an appeal. In 2026, families in Thurrock lodged 113 appeals against secondary school offers; 100 reached a hearing and 9 succeeded (9% of those heard). Waiting lists move over the summer as families accept other places or move away.