Tower Hamlets Primary Schools

[THdad]

New member so apologies if I break conventions but have a question about schools in Tower Hamlets.

From my research, in the southern and eastern parts of the borough there seems to be a polarisation with a small number of schools heavily oversubscribed while other schools struggle for numbers and/or lack of diversity.

Does anyone have any recommendations for schools that don’t require you to live within 25metres of the front gate or have attended a specific church every week for a year?

For what it’s worth my kids are part of a Christian church but that’s not a big influence on our schooling decisions and we do not attend regularly enough to get boosted up the admissions criteria.

Do you live in the borough or are you moving there?

Live here.

So should have seen it coming and obviously very aware of the demographics and social pressures but was unaware of/naive to just how competitive the admissions process was for a select few state/church run schools.

No, Tower Hamlets is very strange vs. the rest of England and even the rest of London. The majority of better schools are religious and usually Church or England or Catholic; usually requiring long term regular church attendence - even christening won't suffice.

What you can do-

• Narrow down the list of schools you really would like your child to attend - maybe there's a school that would be fine for reception / year 1 and then your child could go on the waiting list for a different school?
• At least get your child baptised/christened if you haven't already. Even where church attendance is demanded, sometimes baptism is enough, but be prepared for it not to be.
• Look at schools just outside your list in neighbouring boroughs - e.g. north of Southwark on the overground - there are a few primary schools there; and definitely look at Aldgate School in the City (formerly Sir John Cass), which is oversubscribed but due to an increase in working from home, and the usual London churn of people moving in and out can have spaces.
• Seriously consider attending the church you need to attend to get into the school you want.
• Be better prepared for secondary school. Tower Hamlets is weird.