Best Schools in Waltham Forest

How many schools are there in Waltham Forest?

Waltham Forest has 87 open schools: 51 state primary, 17 state secondary or all-through, 5 independent, 4 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Waltham Forest are rated Outstanding?

21 schools in Waltham Forest were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Davies Lane Primary School, Waltham Forest College, Big Creative Academy, Low Hall Nursery School, Yardley Primary School and 16 more. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 84 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Davies Lane Primary SchoolWaltham Forest CollegeBig Creative AcademyLow Hall Nursery SchoolYardley Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Waltham Forest get the best GCSE results?

Of the 19 schools in Waltham Forest with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Eden Girls' School, Waltham Forest, with an Attainment 8 score of 64.2 and 81% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Walthamstow School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.9 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Norlington School and 6th Form, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.1 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Eden Girls' School, Waltham ForestWalthamstow School for GirlsNorlington School and 6th Form

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Waltham Forest have the best SATs results?

Of the 50 primary schools in Waltham Forest with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Yardley Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); The Jenny Hammond Primary School (96% in reading, 98% in maths); and St Mary's CofE Primary School (96% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Yardley Primary SchoolThe Jenny Hammond Primary SchoolSt Mary's CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Waltham Forest?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Waltham Forest selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Waltham Forest have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Waltham Forest have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Waltham Forest allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Waltham Forest?

Apply to Waltham Forest through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.