Secondary School Transfer

Starting Secondary school in September 2025

If you live in Tower Hamlets and your child is in Year 6 (born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014) you will need to make an online application via eadmissions portal for them to transfer to secondary school in September 2025.

The closing date for making applications is midnight on 31 October 2024.

Email: school.admissions@towerhamlets.gov.uk

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Banding

Banding is used at secondary transfer to help to ensure that secondary schools maintain a balanced admission intake. This should reflect the full range of abilities of all children in the local authority.

Every child who applies must sit a cognitive ability test (CAT). The results are used to group applications into four ability bands (quartiles). For administrative purposes, the quartiles are referred to as Band A, B, C, and D. The results are not published at any stage during the transfer to secondary school process.

In the case of oversubscription, secondary schools will take an equal amount of pupils from each quartile, ensuring that children from all abilities have equality of access. 

The banding information page contains further details.

Useful Information

secondary school prospectus 2.pdf

Support can also be provided by the Tower Hamlets Transition Support Team