Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road, Dagenham
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Dagenham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 29 schools in Dagenham with published results, and 3,408th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Barking and Dagenham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road in detail
Results
In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Barking and Dagenham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 66% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road as their first choice and 106 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road are Godwin Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); Village Infants' School (0.3 miles, Good); William Ford CofE Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths); and St Peter's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 88% reading, 92% maths).
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Godwin Primary SchoolVillage Infants' SchoolWilliam Ford CofE Junior SchoolSt Peter's Catholic Primary School
Who goes there
66.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (33%), White British (28%) and Black (18%).
In 2026, 92 pupils (20.3%) received SEN support and 57 (12.6%) 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 autism.
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road has a resourced provision and a SEN unit (30 places, 30 pupils on roll) for autism.
Staffing
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest Underground station is Dagenham Heathway Underground Station, about 520 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Arnold Road (RM10), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road issued 5 suspensions, 1.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road are Dagenham Park CofE School (0.5 miles), Goresbrook School (0.7 miles), Jo Richardson Community School (0.8 miles) and Brook Sixth Form and Academy (1.3 miles).
Dagenham Park CofE SchoolGoresbrook SchoolJo Richardson Community SchoolBrook Sixth Form and Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from July 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Thomas Arnold creates a warm, inclusive environment where children thrive academically and personally. The school excels at supporting reading development and provides excellent care for pupils with special educational needs. Leaders are ambitious for every child and offer rich enrichment opportunities that help pupils develop as confident, well-rounded learners.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading programme with effective phonics support and well-resourced library
- Excellent provision for pupils with SEND, including specially resourced provision for autism
- Well-developed curriculum with pupils learning to make links between subjects
- Ambitious school leadership focused on high expectations for all pupils
- Rich programme of visits, visitors, and enrichment activities that support personal development
Areas for Improvement
- Knowledge and skills pupils should learn have not been identified with sufficient detail and sequencing in some subjects
- Some subjects are at early implementation stage and assessment is not yet consistently used to check what pupils have learned
- New subject leaders need more time to embed strong practice across all curriculum areas
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders prioritising pupils' safety and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Theatre visits (The Lion King), residential trips (Wales), netball club, music activities, arts clubs, e-safety ambassadors, school council, breakfast club, after-school clubs
Thomas Arnold Primary School continues to be a good school. It is a warm and welcoming inclusive primary school where pupils are happy, polite, and well-behaved.
At a Glance
25.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision and SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 66% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
Before and after school care
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Barking and Dagenham
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road.
- Parsloes Extended School650m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is in Barking and Dagenham; for families living there:
Apply to Barking and Dagenham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 85
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 85 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 73 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
16 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 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 Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
Will you get a place at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Barking and Dagenham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Barking and Dagenham 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
98%
Near capacity
410 pupils
420 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dagenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dagenham
Across Barking and Dagenham council
Places available
3,884
Applications
2,970
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Barking and Dagenham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
92
SEN Support
57
EHC Plans
32.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road has a resourced provision and a SEN unit (30 places, 30 pupils on roll) for autism.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
454
Total Pupils
246
Boys
208
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
17.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,036
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,652
Per pupil
£3145k
Total funding
£198k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
19.0%
Persistent absence
389
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
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
Questions parents ask about Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road
What are SATs results like at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Of the pupils at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 86% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road's Ofsted rating?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
No fixed boundary. When Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is oversubscribed, Barking and Dagenham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Classes at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road has around 454 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road have specialist SEN provision?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road has a resourced provision and a SEN unit (30 places, 30 pupils on roll) for autism.
What is attendance like at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road in 2024/25. 19% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Apply through Barking and Dagenham's coordinated admissions process, naming Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road 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 Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road: Parsloes Extended School (650m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 85 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 73 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 16 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road?
Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road is at Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road, Dagenham, Essex, RM9 6NH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)