OFSTED
21 November 2023
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Good
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership & management
Good
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Tower Hamlets
Trust
THE WAPPING AND SHADWELL SECONDARY EDUCATION TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
248
248 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
83
33.5% of pupils
Male pupils
165
66.5% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
13.1 pts
above England
School
37.9%
Tower Hamlets
41.4%
London
26.3%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
37.4 pts
above England
School
57.7%
Tower Hamlets
54.1%
London
39.2%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
1.0 pts
below England
School
0.0%
Tower Hamlets
1.0%
London
0.5%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
Bangladeshi
44.4%
110
Any other White background
10.9%
27
White British
10.9%
27
Any other ethnic group
8.1%
20
Any other Mixed background
5.2%
13
African
4.4%
11
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
23.4%
58 of
248 pupils
2.6 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
2.6 pts
above
England
6.0%
0.0 pts
above
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
46.9
7.7 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.04 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
9.81%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
3.60 pts
higher than
England
School
9.81%
Tower Hamlets
7.13%
London
6.38%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
34.53%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
18.72 pts
higher than
England
School
34.53%
Tower Hamlets
20.44%
London
17.60%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
5.41%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
3.60 pts
higher than
England
School
5.41%
Tower Hamlets
1.84%
London
1.67%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
59.0%
33.3 pts
below England
Wapping High School
59.0%
Tower Hamlets
87.8%
London
91.3%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.