William Davis Primary School, London
William Davis Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in London. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 175th-highest of the 959 schools in London with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 41% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- 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 Tower Hamlets (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
William Davis Primary School in detail
William Davis Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at William Davis Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 82% and 82% in Tower Hamlets and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (89% in reading, 89% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at William Davis Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put William Davis Primary School as their first choice and 25 named it as one of their preferences, for 12 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 William Davis Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to William Davis Primary School are Thomas Buxton Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 73% reading, 80% maths); St Anne's and Guardian Angels Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles); Osmani Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 85% reading, 84% maths); and Elizabeth Selby Infants' School (0.3 miles, Good).
William Davis Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Thomas Buxton Primary SchoolSt Anne's and Guardian Angels Catholic Primary SchoolOsmani Primary SchoolElizabeth Selby Infants' School
What parents say
14 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about William Davis Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (79%).
Who goes there
46.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 76.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (84%), other ethnic groups (6%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 32 pupils (21.2%) received SEN support and 17 (11.3%) 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.
Staffing
William Davis Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bethnal Green Rail Station, about 530 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Weavers Fields, 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
William Davis Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to William Davis Primary School are Mulberry Academy Shoreditch (0.2 miles), Swanlea School (0.4 miles), Oaklands School (0.4 miles) and Haggerston School (0.6 miles).
Mulberry Academy ShoreditchSwanlea SchoolOaklands SchoolHaggerston School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
William Davis is a caring school where children thrive both academically and personally. Teachers focus on building strong foundations in reading from the start, and the school provides many enriching experiences including visits from opera singers and poets. Parents appreciate the supportive staff and nurturing environment where children are encouraged to try their best and not fear failure.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils are polite, respectful and focused on learning
- Excellent early years provision with a wide range of interesting activities
- Strong reading programme using effective phonics teaching from Reception onwards
- Well-planned curriculum that builds knowledge and skills progressively
- Quick identification and strong support for pupils with SEND
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment not consistently used across all subjects to check what pupils have learned
- Some subjects lack precise checking of pupil progress, meaning misconceptions sometimes go unaddressed
- Recent assessment improvements need to be fully embedded across the curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Multi-sport events, arts and crafts, sewing, peer reading mentoring, special museum projects, visitor enrichment (opera singers, poets)
William Davis Primary School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils enjoy attending and feel safe. The school has high ambitions for all pupils and provides a challenging, carefully structured curriculum that helps them achieve strongly.
At a Glance
46.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
14 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 91% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 82% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.6
Avg class size
16.0
Infant (KS1)
27.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with William Davis Primary School
Before and after school care
William Davis Primary School 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 Tower Hamlets
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near William Davis Primary School.
- Fine AcademiaAt the school · Not yet graded
- TH Holiday Childcare St Anne's and Guardian Angels School350m away · Not yet graded
- Ace Child Care480m away · Not yet graded
- The Art Imaginarium590m away · Not yet graded
- Inaaya Academy640m away · Not yet graded
- Attlee Youth & Community Centre810m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
William Davis Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Tower Hamlets. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 23 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to William Davis Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. William Davis Primary School is in Tower Hamlets; for families living there:
Apply to Tower Hamlets for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 234
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 32
- Children hurt
- 11
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 234 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 32 serious and 202 slight.
11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
46 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 Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 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 William Davis Primary School
Will you get a place at William Davis Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against William Davis Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for William Davis Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to William Davis Primary School.
- Tower Hamlets publishes last distance offered figures, but none for William Davis Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at William Davis Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Tower Hamlets 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
41%
Available places
152 pupils
367 places
215 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - London
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for London
Across Tower Hamlets council
Places available
3,355
Applications
2,713
Got 1st preference
92.6%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Tower Hamlets council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
32.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
151
Total Pupils
71
Boys
80
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
12.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,070
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,189
Per pupil
£1438k
Total funding
£115k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
12.4%
Persistent absence
137
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
Questions parents ask about William Davis Primary School
What are SATs results like at William Davis Primary School?
Of the pupils at William Davis Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 91% did so in maths.
What is William Davis Primary School's Ofsted rating?
William Davis Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for William Davis Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When William Davis Primary School is oversubscribed, Tower Hamlets allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at William Davis Primary School?
William Davis Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 41% of its 367 places.
How big are the classes at William Davis Primary School?
Classes at William Davis Primary School average 21.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to William Davis Primary School?
William Davis Primary School has around 151 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at William Davis Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at William Davis Primary School in 2024/25. 12.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to William Davis Primary School?
Apply through Tower Hamlets's coordinated admissions process, naming William Davis Primary School 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 William Davis Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
William Davis Primary School 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 at the school: Fine Academia (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 more within a kilometre.
What are William Davis Primary School's term dates?
William Davis Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Tower Hamlets. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 23 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near William Davis Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 234 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 32 serious and 202 slight. 11 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 46 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 Tower Hamlets is 231 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Where is William Davis Primary School?
William Davis Primary School is at Wood Close, Cheshire Street, London, E2 6ET.
Sources: Tower Hamlets term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)