Schools by area › Waltham Forest › Downsell Primary School
Downsell Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 2–11 · Community school
Downsell Road, Leyton, London E15 2BS · downsellprimary.org · 020 8556 0103
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Nov 2023
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 66%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Waltham Forest 74%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Reception, September 2026 entry · Waltham Forest Council
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 426
- 61% of 695 places
- Local authority
- Waltham Forest
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 33.2%
- First language not English
- 74.6%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Waltham Forest Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 42 families put the school first and 50 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 50 | 42 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 44 | 36 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 25 | 23 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 38 | 36 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 39 | 37 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 15% the higher standard. Across Waltham Forest it was 74%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲66% | 62% | ||
| ▲15% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●106 | 106 | ||
| ●106 | 105 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Downsell Primary School was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 29 November 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 29 Nov 2023
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Nov 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Nov 2019Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Good Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Apr 2016Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years Good Safeguarding Effective Nov 2013Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement
What parents said
92% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (38 replies, to 2 September 2024).
- Recommend
- 92%
- Replies
- 38
- 2 Sept 2024
based on the 74% who raised concerns
based on the 47% who had a child bullied