Families across Tower Hamlets have received their secondary school offers for September 2026, with 96.6 per cent of pupils securing a place at one of their preferred schools – a higher proportion compared to last year’s figure of 94.1 per cent, and higher than the London average (94.3 per cent).
Within this overall outcome, 79.1 per cent of families received an offer at their first preference school, a rise of 4.4 per cent from 2025 and 9 per cent higher than across London (70.5 per cent). A further 15.6 per cent received their second or third preference, meaning 94.7 per cent were offered one of their top three choices, up from 91.9 per cent last year.
All secondary school applicants received an offer of a place at a Tower Hamlets school on National Offer Day 2026. There are also enough places remaining at schools across the borough to accommodate new arrivals to the area.
Tower Hamlets Council received a total of 2,716 applications for pupils to start secondary school in September 2026.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said:
“It is excellent news that 96.6 per cent of children in Tower Hamlets have secured a place at one of their preferred secondary schools.
“Every child deserves access to a good education close to home, and I am pleased to see continued improvements in outcomes for our families. This is testament to the hard work of our schools and our ongoing investment in education across the borough.”
Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth, and Lifelong Learning, said:
“These strong results reflect the quality and capacity of our schools, as well as our commitment to supporting parents through the admissions process.
“Starting secondary school is a major milestone, and knowing that the vast majority of children will be attending one of their preferred schools will make this next step even more exciting for families.
“We will continue working closely with schools and parents to ensure a smooth transition into Year 7 for every child.”
Tower Hamlets Council continues to support children and young people to give them the best possible opportunities in life.
Last year, the council in England to introduce universal school uniform grants for families with a household income under £50,350, with families able to claim £50 per child entering primary school and £150 per child entering secondary school.
Tower Hamlets was also the first local authority in the country to offer universal free school meals for both primary and secondary school children, saving families £550 per child, per year.
It is also the only council to have restored the Education Maintenance Allowance alongside university and college grants, and its youth provision, Young Tower Hamlets, has opened 20 youth centres, and has nearly reached its goal of a youth centre in every ward.
More information on school admissions can be found online at www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/schooladmissions
Posted on Tuesday 3rd March 2026