Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy, Waltham Abbey
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Waltham Abbey, part of Net Academies Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 124th-highest of the 388 schools in Essex with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 79 families put Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 81 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 Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy are Leverton Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 69% reading, 64% maths); Hillhouse CofE Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 66% maths); Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery (1.2 miles, Good, 95% reading, 95% maths); and Upshire Primary Foundation School (1.3 miles, Good, 57% reading, 43% maths).
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Leverton Primary SchoolHillhouse CofE Primary SchoolHoldbrook Primary School and NurseryUpshire Primary Foundation School
The trust
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy is one of 9 schools run by Net Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
34.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%), Mixed (10%) and Black (10%).
In 2026, 50 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 22 (3.7%) 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.
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy has a resourced provision for autism: 7 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Waltham Cross Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parklands (sw-bound), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 209 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. 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, Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Early years.
At a Glance
26.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 80% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 73% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 73% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.4
Avg class size
26.4
Infant (KS1)
26.8
KS2
22
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy.
- Waltham Holy Cross Super Star SportAt the school · Not yet graded
- Time for change Kids @Abbey Church580m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy 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
- 36
- Fatal
- 3
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 3 fatal, 6 serious and 27 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
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 Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy for 2020 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
90%
Near capacity
564 pupils
630 places
66 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Waltham Abbey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Waltham Abbey
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
22
EHC Plans
12.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy has a resourced provision for autism: 7 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
598
Total Pupils
306
Boys
292
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
31
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,651
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,179
Per pupil
£3394k
Total funding
£239k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
10.0%
Persistent absence
520
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
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Classes at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy average 26.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy has around 598 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy has a resourced provision for autism: 7 places, 3 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
4% of sessions were missed at Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy in 2024/25. 10% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy 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 Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Waltham Holy Cross Super Star Sport (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 36 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 3 fatal, 6 serious and 27 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 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 Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy?
Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy is at Quendon Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1LG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)