Downfield Primary School, Waltham Cross
Downfield Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Waltham Cross. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 16 schools in Waltham Cross with published results, and 13,056th of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Downfield Primary School in detail
Downfield Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include basketball and multi-sports.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £2 per session.
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 17 November 2026, an open day on Friday 4 December 2026 at 9.30am, an admissions event on Tuesday 15 December 2026 and an admissions event on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils at Downfield Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 75% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Downfield Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 50 families put Downfield Primary School as their first choice and 99 named it as one of their preferences, for 56 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Downfield Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Downfield Primary School are Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx) (0.5 miles, 90% reading, 79% maths); Millbrook School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 60% reading, 60% maths); and Burleigh Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 75% reading, 70% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Downfield Primary School.
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx)Millbrook SchoolBurleigh Primary School
What parents say
46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Downfield Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
38.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (38%), Mixed (13%) and Black (7%).
In 2026, 134 pupils (28.7%) received SEN support and 43 (9.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Downfield Primary School has a SEN unit for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs and autism: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cheshunt Rail Station, about 590 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 311 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Downfield Primary School issued 14 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Downfield Primary School are Goffs - Churchgate Academy (0.7 miles), Haileybury Turnford (0.9 miles), St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) (1.2 miles) and Goffs Academy (1.3 miles).
Goffs - Churchgate AcademyHaileybury TurnfordSt Mary's Church of England High School (VA)Goffs Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Downfield Primary School creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where children from diverse backgrounds feel safe and valued. Teachers present information clearly and carefully check understanding, which is especially helpful for children learning English or those with additional needs. The school has successfully reduced absence through well-being support and ensures pupils develop both academically and as confident, caring members of the school community.
Key Strengths
- Strong sense of community where pupils respect differences and support each other, with young interpreters helping new arrivals
- Well-structured curriculum with clear knowledge progression, particularly benefiting pupils with SEND and those learning English as an additional language
- Children develop a love of reading from the start of school with effective early language skills teaching
- Improved writing curriculum with pupils learning to structure their writing accurately across subjects
- Effective leadership that has reduced absence through initiatives like the well-being hub and morning nurture group
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils do not have enough opportunities to re-read words after sounding them out, meaning some rely too heavily on decoding rather than reading fluently
- Some support plans for pupils with SEND lack precision, making it harder for staff to provide the specific strategies these pupils need
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating a positive culture that prioritizes pupils' safety and wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Leadership roles including lunchtime helpers, well-being champions, religious education lessons exploring different cultures and faiths
Downfield Primary School is a good primary school in Cheshunt where pupils are proud to be part of a diverse community and behave well. The school has a well-designed curriculum that helps pupils achieve across a range of subjects.
At a Glance
27.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Other, Speech and language, Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
46 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 75% to 61% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 82% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 60% to 26% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
28.6
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
15
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Downfield Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Downfield Primary School.
- Premier Education - DownfieldAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Downfield Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Downfield Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Downfield Primary School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Downfield Primary School
Will you get a place at Downfield Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Downfield Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Downfield Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Downfield Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Downfield Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
406 pupils
420 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Waltham Cross
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Waltham Cross
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
134
SEN Support
43
EHC Plans
37.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Downfield Primary School has a SEN unit for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs and autism: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
467
Total Pupils
228
Boys
239
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,219
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,848
Per pupil
£2649k
Total funding
£179k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
19.6%
Persistent absence
362
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Downfield Primary School
What are SATs results like at Downfield Primary School?
Of the pupils at Downfield Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 61% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Downfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Downfield Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Downfield Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Downfield Primary School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Downfield Primary School?
Downfield Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Downfield Primary School?
Classes at Downfield Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Downfield Primary School?
Downfield Primary School has around 467 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Downfield Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Downfield Primary School has a SEN unit for other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs and autism: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Downfield Primary School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Downfield Primary School in 2024/25. 19.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Downfield Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Downfield Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Downfield Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education - Downfield (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Downfield Primary School's term dates?
Downfield Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Downfield Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 21 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Downfield Primary School?
Downfield Primary School is at Downfield Road, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, EN8 8SS.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)