Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery, Loughton
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Loughton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 7 schools in Loughton with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery in detail
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Thomas Willingale School and Nursery. We are a vibrant, caring, and inclusive community where every child is encouraged to thrive, achieve, and enjoy their learning journey. At Thomas Willingale, we believe that education should inspire curiosity, build resilience, and nurture individual talents."
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 10am, an open day on Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 10am and an open day on Tuesday 1 December 2026 at 10am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 70% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 62 families put Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 155 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, 57% reading, 57% maths); Hereward Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 95% reading, 95% maths); The Alderton Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 68% reading, 73% maths); and The Alderton Infant School and Nursery (0.9 miles, Good).
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St John Fisher Catholic Primary SchoolHereward Primary SchoolThe Alderton Junior SchoolThe Alderton Infant School and Nursery
Who goes there
In 2026, 110 pupils (22.6%) received SEN support and 12 (2.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest Underground station is Debden Underground Station, about 440 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Vere Road (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 156 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 Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery issued 4 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery are Debden Park High School (0.4 miles), Davenant Foundation School (0.9 miles) and Roding Valley High School (1.3 miles).
Debden Park High SchoolDavenant Foundation SchoolRoding Valley High School
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 8 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2017 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
30.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 70% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
18
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery.
- St John Fisher SSS Sports Camp560m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 16 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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 Willingale Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex 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
100%
Full
420 pupils
420 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Loughton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Loughton
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
110
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
25.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
486
Total Pupils
252
Boys
234
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
23.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,886
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,349
Per pupil
£2570k
Total funding
£209k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.5%
Persistent absence
374
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 Willingale Primary School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery average 27 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery has around 486 pupils on roll. 31% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
5% of sessions were missed at Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 11.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery 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 Willingale Primary School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery: St John Fisher SSS Sports Camp (560m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 16 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery?
Thomas Willingale Primary School and Nursery is at The Broadway, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3SR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)