Swanlea School, London
Swanlea School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in London. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 44th-highest of the 266 schools in London with published results, and 306th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.4 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Tower Hamlets (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Swanlea School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Swanlea School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 58.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.4 in Tower Hamlets and 47 across England.
68% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Tower Hamlets and 47% in England.
That is up from 56.9 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.81: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 54.6, against 64.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at Swanlea School
For September 2026 entry, 276 families put Swanlea School as their first choice and 857 named it as one of their preferences, for 192 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 89 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Swanlea School are Wapping High School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.9); London Enterprise Academy (0.4 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 48.7); Mulberry School for Girls (0.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 57.2); and Oaklands School (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.9).
Swanlea School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Wapping High SchoolLondon Enterprise AcademyMulberry School for GirlsOaklands School
Where pupils go next
Of the 205 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 16% to a further education college.
Of the 124 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 60% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 10% into work. 29% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
43.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 139 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 94 (7.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Whitechapel Station, about 90 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whitechapel Station / Royal London Hospital, 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Swanlea School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Swanlea School issued 73 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Swanlea School are Stewart Headlam Primary School (0.2 miles), Osmani Primary School (0.2 miles), Thomas Buxton Primary School (0.2 miles) and Hague Primary School (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Stewart Headlam Primary SchoolOsmani Primary SchoolThomas Buxton Primary SchoolHague Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Swanlea School combines academic excellence with outstanding personal development. Every pupil participates in enrichment activities such as learning musical instruments, visiting theatres and universities, and exploring places of religious and historical significance. The school has exceptional behaviour, with pupils showing mutual respect for staff and each other, and provides tailored support so all pupils - including those with additional needs - thrive and achieve highly.
Key Strengths
- Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils know more and remember more over time through careful sequencing of knowledge
- Exceptional behaviour across the school with calm, orderly classrooms where pupils are highly engaged and respectful
- Strong support for all pupils including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, with additional help matched to individual needs
- Priority on reading with pupils reading widely across all subjects and early identification of those needing extra support
- Exemplary personal development programme with extensive enrichment activities, clubs, and outdoor learning opportunities
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Music lessons, theatre performances, university visits, religious and historical site visits, music and drama clubs, school choir, school orchestra, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, mental health ambassador training, charity fundraising, school outings
Swanlea School is an outstanding secondary comprehensive school in Whitechapel, London, where leaders have very high expectations for all pupils and provide a well-planned curriculum taught by expert subject specialists. Pupils achieve highly, are safe and happy, and benefit from extensive enrichment activities and excellent support for their personal development.
At a Glance
43.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 1.27 to 0.81 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has remained stable at around 58.7 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 74% to 68% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 58.7 | 68.2% |
| Disadvantaged(119) | - | 54.6 | 63.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(82) | - | 64.6 | 74.4% |
| Boys(136) | - | 58.3 | 69.9% |
| Girls(65) | - | 59.4 | 64.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(53) | - | 53.5 | 56.6% |
| Non mobile(191) | - | 59.9 | 70.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 205 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.16%
Exclusion rate
73
Suspensions
5.70%
Suspension rate
53 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,281 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from Swanlea School
Swanlea School Fire Training September 2026
3 Sep 2026
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - Bronze Summer 2026 Year 9
20 Jul 2026
Achievement Points Year 9 Summer
20 Jul 2026
Swanlea Awards Evening - 1st July 2026 - Shah’s speech
20 Jul 2026
End of Term student slideshow 25 - 26
20 Jul 2026
2021 - 2026 Yearbook
29 Jun 2026
From Swanlea School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Swanlea School
Term dates
Swanlea School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Tower Hamlets. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 23 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Swanlea School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Swanlea School 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
- 386
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 51
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 386 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 51 serious and 335 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
68 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
Your chances of a place at Swanlea School
Will you get a place at Swanlea School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Swanlea School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Swanlea School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Swanlea School.
- Tower Hamlets publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Swanlea School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Swanlea School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Tower Hamlets got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
1,284 pupils
1,271 places
13 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
139
SEN Support
94
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,253
Total Pupils
777
Boys
476
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
89
Teachers
14.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£65,335
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£10,174
Per pupil
£11412k
Total funding
£597k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
8.6%
Persistent absence
1,066
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Swanlea School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Swanlea School
What are GCSE results like at Swanlea School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Swanlea School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 58.7. 68% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Swanlea School's Ofsted rating?
Swanlea School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
What is the catchment area for Swanlea School?
No fixed boundary. When Swanlea School is oversubscribed, Tower Hamlets allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Swanlea School?
Swanlea School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Swanlea School?
Classes at Swanlea School average 23.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Swanlea School?
Swanlea School has around 1253 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Swanlea School?
4% of sessions were missed at Swanlea School in 2024/25. 8.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Swanlea School?
Apply through Tower Hamlets's coordinated admissions process, naming Swanlea School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
What are Swanlea School's term dates?
Swanlea School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Tower Hamlets. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 23 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Swanlea School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 386 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 51 serious and 335 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 10 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 68 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 Swanlea School?
Swanlea School is at 31 Brady Street, Whitechapel, London, E1 5DJ.
Sources: Tower Hamlets term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)