Downsell Primary School, London
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This is a caring school where pupils from different backgrounds work well together and feel supported. Children in Early Years make excellent progress, and the school has successfully improved reading standards across the school. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to participate in sports and competitions, helping them understand the importance of healthy living.
Key Strengths
- Early Years Foundation Stage children make good progress from very low starting points
- Phonics teaching has improved and children achieved expected standards in the 2013 phonics check
- Pupils behave well, are keen to learn and feel safe
- Reading standards are improving due to focused actions
- Pupils enjoy sports and understand the importance of staying healthy
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality is inconsistent and not yet good across all classes
- More-able pupils are not sufficiently challenged and do not make enough progress
- Teachers do not use assessment information well enough to set work at the right level for all pupils
- Leadership does not ensure rapid improvement in pupil achievement
- Governors do not rigorously monitor teacher performance
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective - pupils feel safe and know who to speak to for help, with good support for those feeling lonely or vulnerable.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports activities, competitions
Downsell Primary School requires improvement. Teaching is not yet consistently good across the school, which is limiting pupils' progress, particularly for more-able students.
At a Glance
33.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 65% to 71%. Maths has improved from 69% to 76%. Writing has remained stable at around 83%.
Class Sizes
24.1
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
27.4
KS2
17
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Social & online
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Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
61%
Available places
426 pupils
695 capacity
269 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London
Admissions Demand - Waltham Forest
Places available
3,688
Applications
3,129
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.7%
Primary admissions across Waltham Forest (2025/26)
Inspection History(110)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.62612%
Overall absence
19.14894%
Persistent absence
329
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Downsell Primary School
Nearby Schools
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