Schools across Tower Hamlets

How many schools are there in Tower Hamlets?

Tower Hamlets has 115 open schools: 66 state primary, 18 state secondary or all-through, 14 independent, 8 special and 9 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Tower Hamlets are rated Outstanding?

34 schools in Tower Hamlets were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Complete Works, Date Palm Primary, New City College, Jamiatul Ummah School, London East Alternative Provision and 29 more. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 97 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Complete WorksDate Palm PrimaryNew City CollegeJamiatul Ummah SchoolLondon East Alternative Provision

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Tower Hamlets get the best GCSE results?

Of the 20 schools in Tower Hamlets with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Swanlea School, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.7 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Mulberry School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.2 and 64% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Stepney All Saints Church of England Secondary School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Swanlea SchoolMulberry School for GirlsStepney All Saints Church of England Secondary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Tower Hamlets have the best SATs results?

Of the 61 primary schools in Tower Hamlets with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Stewart Headlam Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths); Globe Primary School (96% in reading, 93% in maths); and Bygrove Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Stewart Headlam Primary SchoolGlobe Primary SchoolBygrove Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Tower Hamlets?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Tower Hamlets selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Tower Hamlets?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Tower Hamlets published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Bigland Green Primary School, 351 metres for 2026 entry; Bygrove Primary School, 572 metres for 2026 entry; John Scurr Primary School, 1980 metres for 2026 entry; Malmesbury Primary School, 2473 metres for 2026 entry; Mayflower Primary School, 515 metres for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 14 schools in Tower Hamlets; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Bigland Green Primary SchoolBygrove Primary SchoolJohn Scurr Primary SchoolMalmesbury Primary SchoolMayflower Primary School

Source: Tower Hamlets admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Tower Hamlets?

Apply to Tower Hamlets through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.