St Paul's Way Trust School
116%
Capacity
1,884
Pupils
5.3x
Demand
About St Paul's Way Trust School
Parents considering St Paul’s Way Trust School will be reassured by the strong vote of confidence from local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 463 first-preference applications for 211 places, making it significantly oversubscribed with a ratio of 5.34 applicants per place. Of those first-preference families, 199 were offered a spot, reflecting the school’s popularity in Tower Hamlets. While the school does not publish a parent-view recommendation percentage, the sheer demand speaks volumes: 1,127 total applications were submitted for those 211 places. This level of competition suggests that families who know the school well are actively choosing it over other local options. The school is a mixed, non-religious secondary with an all-through age range from 4 to 18, and it operates as a state-funded academy in Tower Hamlets. Headteacher Cath Smith leads a large school of 1,884 pupils, which exceeds its official capacity of 1,620, another indicator of its draw.
Academically, St Paul’s Way Trust School delivers results that comfortably outpace the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.54 is classified as ‘Well above average’ and sits well above the Tower Hamlets LA average of 0.09. This places the school 5th out of 17 secondary schools in the borough, and 454th nationally out of 3,141 schools. Attainment 8 sits at 55.4, with 79.6% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 4.88, and 46.4% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. At sixth form, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection rated sixth-form provision as Outstanding. A-level students achieved an average points per entry of 35.57, equivalent to a B- grade, and the best three A-levels averaged a B- as well. The value-added score of 0.08 is rated as ‘Average’, indicating students make expected progress from their starting points.
The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, science labs, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. Sports provision covers cricket, tennis, martial arts, rounders, cross country, and rowing, while extracurricular clubs include Drama, Film Club, Choir, DofE, Science Club, Orchestra, Newspaper, Young Enterprise, Model UN, and Debate. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder, plus a resourced provision. The school is not a boarding school and does not offer nursery provision. Given its strong Progress 8 results, oversubscribed status, and inclusive SEND offer, this school is well-suited to families who want a high-performing, non-selective state school in Tower Hamlets with a strong sixth form and a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | 125 St Paul's Way, London, Tower Hamlets, E3 4FT |
| Headteacher | Cath Smith |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| Number of Pupils | 1,884 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 48.9% |
| School Capacity | 1,884 / 1,620 (116% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Sept 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 13 Nov 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.54)
454th of 3,141
Nationally
153rd of 487
In London
5th of 17
In Tower Hamlets
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
39.5
'22/23
37.9
'23/24
35.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where school leavers go
2022/2371%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 100 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
62%
Russell Group
63%
Top-third HE
3%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)71%
- Employment10%
- Not sustained10%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed211
1,127
Extremely High Demand
Very competitive - significantly more applications than places
463 families put this school as their 1st choice (41% 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 75% 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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- Asian74.7%
- Mixed6.7%
- White (other)4.1%
- White British3.2%
- Black1.4%
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
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half of schools in England.
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.
37
Total schools
32
Oversubscribed
25
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 St Paul's Way Trust School
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
125 St Paul's Way, London
Tower Hamlets, E3 4FT
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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