Side by side
Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College and The Palmer Catholic Academy
The published facts for both schools, each with its source. Where a school or the government has not published something, the cell says so. We do not name a winner.
What differs
- Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College has 2,418 pupils; The Palmer Catholic Academy has 1,132.
- The two schools are 1.5 miles apart in a straight line.
Facts side by side
| Fact | Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College | The Palmer Catholic Academy |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Type | State-funded: Community school DfE register | State-funded: Academy converter DfE register |
| Ages | 11 to 18 DfE register | 11 to 18 DfE register |
| Gender | Mixed DfE register | Mixed DfE register |
| Pupils | 2,418 DfE register | 1,132 DfE register |
| Religious character | Not published | Roman Catholic DfE register |
| Borough | Barking and Dagenham DfE register | Redbridge DfE register |
| Boarding | No DfE register | No DfE register |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective DfE register | Non-selective DfE register |
| Admissions for 2027 | ||
| Next deadline to apply or register | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page | 31 October 2026 (closes in 21 days) school or council page |
| Applications and places, last round | 423 first preferences for 359 places DfE, September 2026 entry | 120 first preferences for 186 places DfE, September 2026 entry |
| Cost | ||
| Published day fees | No tuition fees (state-funded) | No tuition fees (state-funded) |
| Inspection | ||
| Latest inspection | Ofsted graded inspection, 31 January 2024: Outstanding at that inspection Ofsted | Ofsted report card, 3 February 2026 Ofsted |
| Results | ||
| GCSE: Attainment 8 | 49.7 (2024/25) DfE | 48.8 (2024/25) DfE |
| GCSE: grade 5+ in English and maths | 51% (2024/25) DfE | 47% (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: average grade | B (2024/25) DfE | C (2024/25) DfE |
| A level: points per entry | 38.8 (2024/25) DfE | 30.9 (2024/25) DfE |
| Where leavers went | ||
| Stayed in education or work after GCSEs | 94% (left 2022/23) DfE | 95% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Stayed in education or work after 16 to 18 | 84% (left 2022/23) DfE | 83% (left 2022/23) DfE |
| Pupils | ||
| Eligible for free school meals | 29.6% DfE register | 33.3% DfE register |
| English as an additional language | 28% school census 2024/25 | 37.8% school census 2024/25 |
| Receiving SEN support | 7.4% school census 2024/25 | 7.9% school census 2024/25 |
| Pupils per teacher | 15.2 DfE workforce census | 15.7 DfE workforce census |
| Overall absence | 6.8% DfE, 2024/25 | 7.3% DfE, 2024/25 |
DfE register: Get Information About Schools, daily extract as at 2026-10-07. Other sources are named in each cell; every figure links to its source on the school's own page.
Shaded cells differ between the two schools. A blank is not a weakness: it means the figure has not been published, or does not apply to that type of school. Fees and results are not comparable between state and independent schools.
Other comparisons
- Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College and Greatfields School1 mile apart
- Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College and Jo Richardson Community School1.2 miles apart
- Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College and Riverside School1.6 miles apart