Stephen Hawking School is a council-run special school in Tower Hamlets, London, for children and young people aged 2 to 11. It supports vision, hearing, multi-sensory and 3 other needs.
- Ages 2–11
- 93 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 93 (places for 104)
- Headteacher
- Ms Gail Weir (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 1996
- Free school meals
- 40.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Tower Hamlets
- School reference (URN)
- 131023
Needs it supports
6 needs: vision, hearing and 4 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Tower Hamlets (2)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Tower Hamlets (1)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Tower Hamlets (4)
- Visual impairment
- Multi-sensory impairment
- Physical disability
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Tower Hamlets council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, March 2013; standards maintained (January 2025)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in March 2013. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, January 2025).
Contact and getting there
Brunton Place, London, E14 7LL
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Cyril Jackson Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.4 miles
- Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.5 miles
- St Paul's Way Trust School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
All SEND schools in Tower Hamlets
By need in Tower Hamlets: Hearing (5) · Autism (4) · SEMH (3) · Speech and language (3) · Severe learning (3) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Stephen Hawking School
How do I get a place at Stephen Hawking School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Stephen Hawking School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Stephen Hawking School support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Stephen Hawking School take?
Aged 2 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Stephen Hawking School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in January 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Stephen Hawking School?
Brunton Place, London, E14 7LL, in Tower Hamlets.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.