Woodlands Primary School, Ilford

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades Woodlands Primary School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Most pupils make steady progress through the curriculum from their starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a broad and balanced curriculum that is appropriately sequenced to help pupils' learning over time."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children in the early years settle quickly into well-established routines and feel safe and secure."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an inclusive culture where pupils' needs are identified quickly and understood well."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and the areas that need further development."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a broad range of opportunities that support pupils' wider development."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Attendance remains below national averages and continues to be a key area for improvement."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should improve attendance so that it is in line with national averages, ensuring that the school's recent actions are embedded and lead to sustained reductions in persistent absence"; "Leaders should further strengthen pupils' achievement by ensuring that teaching consistently secures and deepens pupils' knowledge, particularly by addressing misconceptions more effectively"; "Leaders should refine provision in the early years so that adult interactions more consistently support and extend children's communication and language development".

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include karate, coding and robotics.

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at Woodlands Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 84% and 85% in Redbridge and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 74% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Woodlands Primary School as their first choice and 150 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 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 Woodlands Primary School are Uphall Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 85% reading, 83% maths); Gordon Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths); Cleveland Road Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 91% reading, 94% maths); and SS Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 93% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Woodlands Primary School.

40.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 77.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (68%), Black (9%) and Mixed (7%).

The nearest Underground station is Barking Underground Station, about 1070 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Loxford Youth Centre, 190 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Woodlands Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 1045 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Redbridge (338), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Woodlands Primary School issued 25 suspensions, 3.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Woodlands Primary School are Loxford School (0.2 miles); Eastbury Community School (0.5 miles); Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College (0.9 miles); and Ark Isaac Newton Academy (0.9 miles).