Downshall Primary School, Ilford

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Downshall Primary School on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "The changes leaders have made to the curriculum and to teaching enable pupils to develop a deep understanding of the subjects they study."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "The curriculum is broad and ambitious."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Downshall Primary has undergone several strategic changes to meet the evolving needs of its community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school has developed a coherent, successful and appropriate programme for pupils' personal development."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders promote regular attendance and work proactively with families to remove barriers that prevent pupils from coming to school."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children often begin the early years with limited spoken language and make a positive start to their education."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "The number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has increased in recent years."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that new strategies to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are monitored closely and skilfully adjusted, using the information they gather with precision, so that barriers to learning are further reduced"; "Leaders should ensure that interactions with children in the early years consistently promote language development. They should ensure that staff have the expertise to take every opportunity to develop children's communication skills"; "Leaders should continue to improve attendance by increasing the regular attendance of key groups and raising overall attendance across the school".

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Downshall Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 85% in Redbridge and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (83% in reading, 86% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Downshall Primary School as their first choice and 142 named it as one of their preferences, for 49 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Downshall Primary School are Aldborough Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 92% reading, 94% maths); St Aidan's Catholic Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 65% reading, 73% maths); Farnham Green Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 85% maths); and William Torbitt Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 78% reading, 77% maths).

Downshall Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Downshall Primary School is one of 5 schools run by New Vision Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 82% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

45 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Downshall Primary School (as of April 2026): 98% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 0% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (0%).

93.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (76%) and Mixed (5%).

The nearest railway station is Newbury Park Station, about 670 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).

2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wards Road/Aldborough Rd South (->e), 120 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 629 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Redbridge (338), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Downshall Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Downshall Primary School are The Palmer Catholic Academy (0.4 miles), Seven Kings School (0.5 miles), Oaks Park High School (0.6 miles) and Ark Isaac Newton Academy (0.7 miles).