School admissions criteria

The school admissions arrangements 2026 to 2027

The determined arrangements for school admissions are as follows:

• The determined admissions policy for community nursery schools 2026 to 2027
• The determined admissions policy for community primary schools 2026 to 2027
• The determined admission policy for community secondary schools 2026 to 2027
• Coordinated schemes for admission to nursery, reception and year 7 2026 to 2027
• Coordinated scheme for in-year admissions 2026 to 2027
• Planned admission numbers for schools in Tower Hamlets 2026 to 2027

The school admissions arrangements 2025 to 2026

• The determined admissions policy for community nursery schools 2025 to 2026
• The determined admissions policy for community primary schools 2025 to 2026
• The determined admissions policy for community secondary schools 2025 to 2026
• Coordinated schemes for admission to nursery, reception and year 7 2025 to 2026
• Coordinated scheme for in-year admissions 2025 to 2026
• Planned admission numbers for schools in Tower Hamlets 2025 to 26

Own admission authority schools – admissions policies 2025/26

 Academy and faith schools that are their own admission authority are responsible for determining admission arrangements annually and providing a copy of their formally agreed arrangements to the council by no later than the 15th March each year.

This information is collated by the council’s school admissions team. Their admission arrangements are required to be displayed on the individual school websites.

The following schools in Tower Hamlets determine their own admission policies and can be viewed by clicking on the links:

Primary schools

• Bygrove
• Canary Wharf College
• Christchurch
• Culloden
• English Martyrs
• Old Ford
• Our Lady and St Joseph's
• Sir William Burrough
• St Agnes
• St Anne's & Guardian Angels
• St Edmund's 
• St Elizabeth's
• St John's 
• St Luke's
• St Mary and St Michael
• St Paul's Whitechapel
• St Pauls Way Trust
• St Paul with St Luke
• St Peter's
• St Saviour's
• Solebay Academy
• Stebon
• Stepney Greencoat
• The Clara Grant
• Wood Wharf

Secondary schools

• Bishop Challoner Catholic School
• Canary Wharf College Crossharbour
• Central Foundation Girls School 
• London Enterprise Academy
• Mulberry School for Girls
• Mulberry Academy London Dock
• Mulberry Academy Shoreditch
• Mulberry Stepney Green Maths Computing and Science College
• Stepney All Saints CE School
• St Paul's Way Trust
• Wapping High School

Oversubscription criteria

Each school has a published admissions number, the maximum number of places that can be offered. Details on the number of places available can be found in the Starting School in Tower Hamlets brochure for primary schools and the Moving to a Secondary School in Tower Hamlets brochure for secondary schools.

Some schools receive more applications than there are places available. If one of your preferences is for a school that has more applications than places, the admissions criteria for the school will be applied and it is possible that your child may not be offered a place.

It is, therefore, important that you consider the admissions criteria and the likelihood of your child being offered a place before you name a school on your application form.

Please note that Tower Hamlets is not able to exceed the school's admission number because, to do so, would result in overcrowding and would have an adverse effect on the school's ability to provide quality education. Additional children would place too much strain on the school's resources.

Equality impact assessment 2015

The authority has completed an equality impact assessment.

For more information on the specific arrangements for admission to Tower Hamlets community primary schools, visit the equal chance page.