Canary Wharf College Crossharbour
100%
Capacity
462
Pupils
4.2x
Demand
About Canary Wharf College Crossharbour
Canary Wharf College Crossharbour is a state secondary in Tower Hamlets that parents are clearly keen to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 314 applications for just 75 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.19. Of those applications, 81 put the school as their first preference, and 67 of those families were successful. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, even though the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it as Requires Improvement across the board — including overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a drop from its previous Good rating in 2019. The school is Christian in character, has a headteacher called Geoff Roberts, and is full to capacity with 462 pupils. A third of its students (33.8%) are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was 0.32, meaning pupils on average achieved nearly a third of a grade more per subject than similar students nationally. That is well above the Tower Hamlets local authority average of 0.09, and places the school 7th out of 17 secondary schools in the borough. Nationally, it ranks in the top 26% of schools on this measure. The Attainment 8 score was 53.4, and 76.3% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths (the basics 94 measure). The EBacc entry rate was 60.5%, with 38.2% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. Progress in maths was particularly strong at 0.48, while English was 0.30. The school does not have a sixth form, so students move on elsewhere after Year 11.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, gymnasium, sports hall, tennis courts, theatre, and a sixth form centre (though no sixth form provision is listed). There are also science labs, music rooms, an ICT suite, and a chapel. Clubs include Young Enterprise, Model UN, coding, choir, orchestra, and gardening. Sports on offer include dance, athletics, hockey, and martial arts. The SEND provision is broad, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families who value strong academic progress relative to the local area and don’t mind an Ofsted rating that is currently Requires Improvement, this school is clearly in high demand and delivers results above the borough average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Christian |
| Address | 7 Selsdon Way, London, Tower Hamlets, E14 9GL |
| Headteacher | Geoff Roberts |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| Number of Pupils | 462 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 33.8% |
| School Capacity | 462 / 462 (100% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
9 May 2024Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 26 Jun 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.32)
808th of 3,141
Nationally
239th of 487
In London
7th of 17
In Tower Hamlets
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2339%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 38 pupils).
- FE college42%
- School sixth form (stay)39%
- Not sustained13%
- Sixth form college5%
87% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed75
314
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
81 families put this school as their 1st choice (26% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British25.8%
- White (other)24.2%
- Asian19.9%
- Mixed15.6%
- Black1.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
18
Total schools
13
Oversubscribed
11
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Canary Wharf College Crossharbour
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
7 Selsdon Way, London
Tower Hamlets, E14 9GL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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