Blackwall

Summary

Blackwall (E02007113) is part of Tower Hamlets local authority (view on map). Blackwall has an approximate population of 8,700 people, of which 18% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".

Blackwall neighbours Poplar Central, Poplar West, Canary Wharf, Leamouth, and Cubitt Town.

Headlines

  • 80% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it among the 10% most deprived regarding income deprivation among children in England – see more.
  • 47% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 7% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 85% of pupils belong to a minority ethnic group, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 52% of pupils have a first language known or believed to be other than English, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
Guidance and data sources

Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.

The data displayed is sourced from:

Deprivation

Blackwall is the 27th least deprived area in Tower Hamlets (out of 34) with 80% of children living in low-income families, compared to 71% across Tower Hamlets and 38% nationally.

80% of children are living in low-income families, ranking it among the 10% most deprived regarding income deprivation among children in England.

Data source

State-funded pupil characteristics

Information acquired from the school census.

Free school meals

In Blackwall, 47% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 44% in Tower Hamlets and 27% nationally.

47% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

% in Blackwall % in Tower Hamlets % in England
Eligible for free school meals 47% 44% 27%
Not eligible for free school meals 53% 56% 73%

Data source

Special educational needs

In Blackwall, 22% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 21% in Tower Hamlets, and 19% nationally.

This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.

7% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

% in Blackwall % in Tower Hamlets % in England
No special educational needs 78% 79% 81%
Receiving special educational needs support 15% 13% 14%
With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) 7% 8% 5%

Data source

Ethnicity

In Blackwall, 85% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 88% in Tower Hamlets, and 33% nationally.

Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.

85% of pupils belong to a minority ethnic group, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups

Table

% in Blackwall % in Tower Hamlets % in England
White 14% 12% 67%
Asian 58% 67% 14%
Black 13% 9% 7%
Mixed 10% 8% 7%
Other 4% 3% 3%
Not known – 1% 2%

Data source

English as an additional language

The percentage of pupils in Blackwall with English as an additional language is 52%, compared with 57% in Tower Hamlets, and 22% nationally.

Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.

52% of pupils have a first language known or believed to be other than English, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language

Table

% in Blackwall % in Tower Hamlets % in England
Known or believed to be other than English 52% 57% 22%
Known or believed to be English 48% 43% 78%

Data source

Provider information

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Registered childcare providers

Blackwall has 6 registered childcare providers.

Type Number in Blackwall
All childcare providers 6
Childminders 1
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care 5

There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Blackwall since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data source

State-funded schools

Blackwall has 2 state-funded schools.

Type Number in Blackwall
All state-funded schools 2
Nursery schools 0
Primary and all-through schools 2
Secondary and all-through schools 0
Special schools 0
Registered alternative provision 0

There have been no inspections of schools in Blackwall since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data sources: