The Sydney Russell School Catchment Area
The Sydney Russell School is an academy converter special school in Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham , serving pupils aged 4-18, with 2640 pupils, and a capacity of 2670 places. The school is operating close to capacity, and catchment area boundaries apply when the school is oversubscribed.
4-18
Age range
2,640
Pupils
2,670
Capacity
99%
Fill rate
Good
Ofsted 2021
The Sydney Russell School Catchment Area Information
What is the catchment area for The Sydney Russell School?
The Sydney Russell School is a special school in Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham, and it does not use a standard catchment area. Barking and Dagenham allocates places through each child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) rather than home-to-school distance, so placement depends on assessed need rather than a geographic boundary.
Admission to The Sydney Russell School follows a different process from mainstream schools. Barking and Dagenham assesses each child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to determine appropriate placement. Catchment area does not apply in the same way as mainstream admissions.
Get an alert if The Sydney Russell School goes oversubscribed for 2027 →
For more information on how Barking and Dagenham assesses EHCP placements and which schools are named, contact the council's SEND team directly. The council must publish its Local Offer explaining available provision.
Find Barking and Dagenham catchment area documents →The Sydney Russell School: 2670 places, 99% filled: nearing capacity
The Sydney Russell School has a published admission number of 2670 places. 2640 pupils were enrolled in the most recent data, giving a fill rate of 99%. The school is operating close to its limit. In years where applications exceed 2670, Barking and Dagenham's admissions team applies distance-based tiebreakers. Families within the school's historical catchment boundary are well placed, but a boundary check with the council is recommended before applying.
The fill-rate figure above reflects overall demand, but the school's intake also varies by community profile. 27.3% of pupils at The Sydney Russell School are eligible for free school meals, broadly in line with the national average. This reflects a mixed catchment population across Barking and Dagenham.
To check whether your home address falls within the historical catchment boundary, use the postcode search tool on this site.
The Sydney Russell School: School Information
- Full address
- Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham, RM9 5QT
- Local authority
- Barking and Dagenham
- School type
- Academy converter
- Phase of education
- Special
- Age range
- 4-18 years
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 27.3% of pupils
- DfE URN
- 141683
Other Special Schools in Dagenham
If The Sydney Russell School is oversubscribed, these special schools in Dagenham are the next closest alternatives.
Nearest special schools by distance
These are the special schools closest to The Sydney Russell School by straight-line distance, including ones across a town or council boundary. Distance is not the same as being in catchment: always check each school's own admissions policy for its actual boundary.
Need help understanding catchment areas?
Frequently Asked Questions: The Sydney Russell School
What is the catchment area for The Sydney Russell School? ▾
The Sydney Russell School is a special school in Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham, and it does not use a standard catchment area. Barking and Dagenham allocates places through each child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) rather than home-to-school distance, so placement depends on assessed need rather than a geographic boundary.
Is The Sydney Russell School oversubscribed? ▾
The Sydney Russell School is operating close to its capacity of 2670 places (99% full). Catchment boundaries are likely to apply when the school is oversubscribed at the next intake.
What is the admissions policy for The Sydney Russell School? ▾
Admission to The Sydney Russell School is managed by Barking and Dagenham. When oversubscribed, places go to looked-after children first, then siblings, then catchment area distance. Always verify the current policy with the council before applying.
What age range does The Sydney Russell School cover? ▾
The Sydney Russell School is a special school in Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham, serving pupils aged 4-18. For the latest information, visit the school's website or the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
What is the Ofsted rating for The Sydney Russell School? ▾
The Sydney Russell School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2021. Full inspection reports are available at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.