School admissions
Admission to Nursery 2026
Please read the Ready for Nursery in Tower Hamlets booklet for useful information on the admission process, inclduing details of nurseries in Tower Hamlets.
Children will usually start nursery in the September following their third birthday. It is possible for eligible children to access a funded nursery place from the beginning of the term after their third birthday.
Both part-time (15 hours per week) and full-time (30 hours per week) places are available.
If your child was born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023 and you wish to apply for a nursery place for September 2026, you must complete an online application by 14 February 2026 through the E-admissions website.
Find out more about nursery admissions
Admission to Reception (primary school) 2026
Please read the Starting Primary School in Tower Hamlets booklet for useful information on the admission process.
Pupils usually start primary school in the September following their fourth birthday. If your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 this will be from September 2026.
You must complete an online application by 15 January 2026 through the E-admissions website.
You must make an online application for a reception place, even if your child is already attending the school's nursery.
Find out more about primary school (reception) admission
Admission to Year 7 (secondary school) 2026
Please read the Ready for Secondary School in Tower Hamlets booklet for useful information on the admission process.
If you live in Tower Hamlets and your child is in Year 6 (born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015) you will need to make an online application via the E-admissions website for them to transfer to secondary school in September 2026.
Your child will also need to take a banding assessment.
To register for this, if your child attends a school outside Tower Hamlets, please complete the Banding registration form.
Closing date for making applications is 31 October 2025.
Find out more about secondary school admissions
In-year admissions 2025-26
In-year admissions take place outside the normal admission period. For example, children who have recently moved to the area and do not have a school place.
Applications for in-year transfers and admissions for children out of school must be made through the Tower Hamlets Parent Portal.
Find out more about in-year admissions
Home to school travel
When applying for a school place, please remember that it will be your responsibility to ensure your child gets to and from school safely.
If you are not sure where your local schools are, please use our school finder tool.
The council provides support with home to school travel in exceptional circumstances only, and you would usually be expected to apply for your local schools before any support would be considered.
Find out more about the school travel policy.
Nursery aged children are not entitled to any travel support.
Supplementary information forms
Some schools require a completed supplementary form in addition to the online application form. These schools are known as own admission authority schools (OAA) and the majority of these are voluntary aided or free schools.
You must complete and return both forms for your application to be considered. Supplementary forms must be returned to the appropriate school. If you have made an online application to any of the schools listed below, please contact them for a supplementary form.
Secondary schools
- Bishop Challoner School Catholic School
- Canary Wharf College Crossharbour
- Stepney All Saints Cof E School
Primary schools
- Canary Wharf College Schools
- Christ Church Church of England
- English Martyrs Roman Catholic
- Our Lady and St Joseph Roman Catholic
- St Agnes Roman Catholic
- St Anne's & Guardian Angels Roman Catholic
- St Edmund’s Roman Catholic
- St Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic
- St John’s Church of England
- St Luke’s Church of England
- St Mary and St Michael Roman Catholic
- St Paul's (Whitechapel) Church of England
- St Paul’s with St Luke’s Church of England
- St Peter’s London Docks Church of England
- St Saviour’s Church of England
- Stepney Greencoat Church of England
Key service areas and contacts
The School Admissions Service is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm .
The service is extremely busy at this time of year, this may lead to a significant delay in the time it takes to answer your phone call.
The School Admissions Service can be contacted using the details below:
Area | Contact information |
Nursery Admissions
Primary Admissions
Secondary Transfer Admissions
In-year Admissions
Travel Assistance
Elective Home Education
|
school.admissions@towerhamlets.gov.uk
020 7364 5006
*option 1
|
Check this webpage on a regular basis for any changes to the current arrangements.
Further information