John Scurr Primary School: 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, 56 families put John Scurr Primary School as their first choice and 89 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 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.
First-choice demand has risen from 46 in 2021 to 56 in 2026, while places went from 46 to 56.
Tower Hamlets published that the last place offered for 2026 entry went to a family 1980 metres away. The cut-off moves every year with the number of applications.
Across Tower Hamlets, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Tower Hamlets lodged 54 appeals against primary school offers; 49 reached a hearing and 1 succeeded (2% 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 | 56 | 56 | 89 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 60 | 64 | 97 | 1.1 | 5 |
| 2024 | 60 | 61 | 94 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 2023 | 58 | 56 | 73 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 48 | 47 | 70 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 46 | 46 | 79 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 51 | 48 | 80 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 44 | 41 | 67 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2018 | 47 | 45 | 90 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 58 | 56 | 96 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 60 | 64 | 135 | 1.1 | 5 |
| 2015 | 53 | 45 | 106 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2014 | 45 | 41 | 108 | 0.9 | 0 |
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.
Last distance offered
| Entry year | Last place offered | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1980 metres | Tower Hamlets |
| 2025 | 617 metres | Tower Hamlets |
Figures as each council published them, in the unit it used. The cut-off is not a boundary: it moves every year with the number of applications.