In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Tower Hamlets at a glance
Ahead of England on results at 11
How Tower Hamlets's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries19266 primary · 17 secondary · 84 nurseries
Primaries Good or better96%England 96%
Met the standard at 1169%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths50%Attainment 8 46.7, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary42%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Tower Hamlets
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets is a London borough with 66 mainstream primary schools and 17 mainstream secondary schools. The council still runs or maintains most state schools here: only 34% are academies or free schools.
Good to know in Tower Hamlets
Most Tower Hamlets secondary schools use a local banding system to balance pupil ability in Year 7. Source
For Year 7 entry you register your child for banding; the council explains how on its banding page. Source
A child turning three during the school year can also apply for a nursery place starting in January or April. Source
The council says falling births and families leaving the borough have left unused places at primary schools. Source
The admissions service runs drop-in advice sessions on Fridays in term time at Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Source
From Tower Hamlets council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
92.6%got their first-choice primary school in Tower Hamlets in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 81 of 151 councils. 97.8% got one of their top three.4.7% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
79.1%got their first-choice secondary school in Tower Hamlets in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 102 of 151 councils. 94.7% got one of their top three.10.6% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
0 of 23 primary appeals heard in Tower Hamlets succeeded in 2025. 3 of 216 secondary appeals heard in Tower Hamlets succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Tower Hamlets
Tower HamletsEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 54 primaries with one.
96%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 10 with a grade.
90%
England 93%
Close to England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
69%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
50%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
42%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 83 schools that have one.
94%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding29
Good49
Requires improvement5
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Tower Hamlets in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1169% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths50% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Tower Hamlets
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
94%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
69%
62%
Attainment 8
46.7
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
15.6:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£11,540
£8,120
In education or work after 16
94%
91%
Went on to higher education
62%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
23%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
57%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
44%
27%
DfE local authority code 211, ONS code E09000030.
Living here
What it's like for families
Tower Hamlets has 192 schools and nurseries.
There are 6% more pupils than in 2018, but numbers have fallen since 2025.
42% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Tower Hamlets's state schools each January.
41.6k2018
42.7k2019
44.6k2021
45.4k2022
45.6k2023
45.6k2024
44.7k2025
44.0k2026
Up 6% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Tower Hamlets42%
Keep up with schools in Tower Hamlets
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Tower Hamlets has 192 schools, including 79 primary schools, 32 secondary schools, 84 nurseries, 15 independent schools, 8 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Tower Hamlets?+
The highest-ranked schools in Tower Hamlets on Eduscope are St Peter's London Docks CofE Primary School, Bigland Green Primary School, Mulberry School for Girls. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Tower Hamlets are rated Good or Outstanding?+
94% of inspected schools in Tower Hamlets hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 29 schools rated Outstanding and 49 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Tower Hamlets perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Tower Hamlets, 69% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Tower Hamlets?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Tower Hamlets is 15.6:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Tower Hamlets schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Tower Hamlets is 18.3%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Tower Hamlets?+
There are 44,040 pupils enrolled across schools in Tower Hamlets, with 23,453 in primary and 20,038 in secondary. 43.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Tower Hamlets?+
There are 15 independent schools in Tower Hamlets. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Tower Hamlets on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Tower Hamlets?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 192 schools in Tower Hamlets by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
