Onelab College, London
Onelab College is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in London.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Onelab College in detail
Onelab College in its own words
In its own words: "To build a world where young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are recognised for their talents and empowered through creativity. A world where they are equipped to thrive as confident, independent contributors to the creative economy."
Coming up: an open day on Monday 30 November 2026 at 1.30pm, an open day on Monday 7 December 2026 at 1.30pm, an open day on Monday 18 January 2027 at 1.30pm and an open day on Saturday 10 July 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Tower Hamlets
Vision and values (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Onelab College are Ian Mikardo High School (0.3 miles, Good); Phoenix School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); Beatrice Tate School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); and Phoenix Autism Trust (0.6 miles, Good).
Ian Mikardo High SchoolPhoenix SchoolBeatrice Tate SchoolPhoenix Autism Trust
Getting there
The nearest DLR station is Devons Road DLR Station, about 70 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cranwell Close, 60 metres away.
Source: NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's September 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Onelab College excels at helping learners develop practical skills and independence through creative, hands-on learning. Students enjoy learning activities that combine subjects in innovative ways and successfully progress to internships at local hospitals and catering outlets. The college prioritizes teaching learners how to stay safe in their communities and online.
Key Strengths
- Learners develop practical skills and independence through well-taught courses like business and creative media production
- Students create high-quality products that sell in the college pop-up shop and progress to supported internships
- Effective safeguarding arrangements in place with learners understanding how to stay safe
Areas for Improvement
- English and mathematics teaching does not meet individual learners' needs and learners are not making expected progress
- Teaching staff lack training in special educational needs strategies and do not check learners' understanding effectively
- Progress tracking is weak and learners' achievements towards their individual education and health care plans are not recorded clearly
- High staff turnover has prevented proper quality checks and governance arrangements remain underdeveloped
- Safeguarding records are not detailed enough
Safeguarding
Reasonable progress - Leaders have put effective safeguarding arrangements in place and learners feel safe, though detailed record-keeping of safeguarding incidents needs improvement.
Extracurricular Activities
Pop-up shop selling student-made jewellery and gifts, supported internships at local hospitals and catering outlets
Onelab College is an independent specialist college in London offering bespoke education and training for 36 learners aged 16-25 with autism spectrum disorder and moderate needs. The college has made insufficient progress in designing tailored learning programmes and ensuring high-quality teaching.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Onelab College
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Onelab College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Onelab College is in Tower Hamlets; for families living there:
Apply to Tower Hamlets for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 124
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 18
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 124 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 106 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Tower Hamlets council
Places available
3,059
Applications
2,716
Got 1st preference
79.1%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Tower Hamlets council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
Special educational needs provision
Onelab College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Onelab College
What is the catchment area for Onelab College?
No fixed boundary. When Onelab College is oversubscribed, Tower Hamlets allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Onelab College have specialist SEN provision?
Onelab College is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Onelab College?
Apply through Tower Hamlets's coordinated admissions process, naming Onelab College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Onelab College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 124 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 18 serious and 106 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 19 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Onelab College?
Onelab College is at 7 Corsican Square, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, E3 3YD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)