Canary Wharf Primary, East Ferry
Free schools primary school in London (Tower Hamlets).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Never before in the history of this country has an ordinary man or woman been able to go to the government of the day and say, I have a vision for a school, please give me some money .
Founder, Sarah Counter , took this extraordinary opportunity to start a new school which over the last decade has grown to become three academy schools forming Canary Wharf College Multi Academy Trust on the Isle of Dogs. All three schools have been awarded a good or outstanding Ofsted grading despite being in temporary accommodation when inspected.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Key facts
- URN
- 137016
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Primary
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Christian
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Tower Hamlets
- Constituency
- Poplar and Limehouse
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2011
Governing body (3 current, 7 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr John Afolayan | Shared Chair of Local Governing Body - Establishment | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Dr John Afolayan Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · term ended 2026 |
| Mr Andrew Sanderson Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Melisa Akis | Shared Local Governor - Establishment | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Mrs Shireen Sinem | Shared Local Governor - Establishment | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Bethan Cotton Former | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Jen Lewis Former | Local Governor | Nominated by other body and appointed by GB | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Cristina Andrighetti Former | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2024 · term ended 2025 |
| Melissa Akiss Former | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2023 · term ended 2025 |
| Lorraine Cavanagh Former | Local Governor | Nominated by other body and appointed by GB | since 2018 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record