Downfield Primary School
Downfield Road, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN8 8SSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Downfield Primary School is a primary school in Waltham Cross for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 583 schools in Hertfordshire. It ranks 14th of 16 primary schools in Waltham Cross. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 19 November 2024, report published 16 December 2024
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 19 November 2024
Pupils are proud to be a part of their diverse school community. They trust each other to respect the differences they have. Young interpreters excel in their roles helping new arrivals who speak English as an additional language to communicate. This helps pupils to quickly feel happy, safe and settled at school. Pupils follow the school rules of 'ready, respect, safe'. They behave appropriately in class and when walking around the school. During lessons, pupils focus on their work. They strive hard to reach the high expectations staff have of them. This helps pupils to achieve well across a range of subjects. Pupils behave equally well in lessons and during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Here, pupils look after each other. They play games harmoniously and socialise well together. This further instils the strong sense of a shared community where, as pupils reflected, 'there is room for everyone'. Pupils benefit from numerous opportunities to take up leadership roles. Older pupils eagerly help younger children during lunchtime as lunchtime helpers. Well-being champions openly give their own time to help those who need extra support or guidance. This helps to develop pupils' confidence and self-esteem.
What the school should improve
- Sometimes, staff do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to re-read words once they have decoded them. This means some pupils overly rely on sounding out words and do not read as fluently as they could. The school should ensure staff support pupils to read for fluency once they can decode, blend and read unfamiliar words.
- Some support plans for pupils with SEND lack precision. This can make it hard for staff to put in place the precise strategies pupils with SEND need. The school should ensure that all staff understand how to plan for, and meet the needs of, all pupils with SEND effectively.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
54 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
467 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near Downfield Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 69% met the expected standard |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wx) | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Good | 62% met the expected standard |
| Millbrook School | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 60% met the expected standard |
| Burleigh Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
| Four Swannes Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | 55% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Miss Sarah Goldsmith
- Phone
- 01992629598
- Address
- Downfield Road, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN8 8SS
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- URN
- 117255
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.