East London Arts & Music

About East London Arts & Music

East London Arts & Music (ELAM) is a state-funded 16-19 mixed sixth form in Tower Hamlets, one of 21 secondary schools in the borough. It sits in a competitive local landscape where the top-performing peers, according to ranking scores, are Swanlea School (0.81), Bishop Challoner Catholic School (0.78), and Stepney All Saints Church of England Secondary School (0.77). The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Stepney All Saints, 2.6 km away, and Tower Hamlets has four Outstanding schools in total. ELAM itself has no Ofsted rating in the data, but its specialist focus on arts and music sets it apart from these more traditional academic neighbours. With a capacity of 300 and 275 pupils on roll, it is slightly undersubscribed, suggesting a niche appeal. Headteacher Yansé Cooper leads a school that is non-religious and co-educational, catering specifically to students aged 16 to 19 who are serious about pursuing creative pathways.

Academically, ELAM’s most recent A-level results from 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The average points per entry were 33.16, equivalent to a C+ grade, and the best three A-levels averaged an E grade with 11.05 points. The value-added score of -0.36, with a confidence interval from -0.75 to 0.03, places the school in the ‘Average’ progress banding, meaning students achieve roughly in line with expectations given their starting points. Only 19 students took A-levels, a small cohort that limits statistical reliability. No students achieved the AAB combination in facilitating subjects. For context, Tower Hamlets’ average Progress 8 score (a measure for students aged 11-16) is 0.09, but ELAM’s data is for post-16 only, so direct comparison is not possible. The school does not offer level 3 maths, and there is no data on English progress. Parents should interpret these results cautiously given the small numbers and specialist curriculum.

ELAM’s facilities are strong for a sixth form of its size, including a theatre, music rooms, a sixth form centre, and a swimming pool. Sports offered include rowing, athletics, and dance, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Model UN and Young Enterprise. The school’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social and emotional mental health needs, visual impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder, though no data on the proportion of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan is available. The school is not oversubscribed, with 25 spare places, which may make it more accessible for late applicants or those who do not meet typical entry thresholds. This school will suit families in Tower Hamlets looking for a focused creative environment at sixth-form level, particularly those who value specialist facilities and a smaller cohort over broad academic league-table performance.

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