Downsell Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Downsell Road, Leyton, London, E15 2BSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Downsell Primary School is a primary school in Waltham Forest for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 84 schools in Waltham Forest. It ranks 35th of 48 primary schools in Waltham Forest. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 29 November 2023, report published 29 January 2024

Overall effectiveness
Good
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 29 November 2023

Pupils at this school benefit from being in a safe, inclusive and caring setting. This starts in the early years where children enjoy playing and learning together in a stimulating and very well-resourced environment. Pupils are polite and kind. They listen to their teachers, and they work hard in lessons. Pupils study a rich and carefully considered curriculum that is broad and balanced. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and make lessons interesting. This results in enthusiastic learners. A range of different activities enrich this curriculum further. The school broadens pupils' horizons with whole-school trips to landmarks in London and to the seaside. Pupils are taught how to stay safe. They are very aware of online risks, and they know they can talk to a number of different adults in the school if they have any concerns. Staff and leaders know the pupils and families very well. This helps to ensure that all pupils access the curriculum successfully. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), for whom provision is particularly strong. The school goes the extra mile to support families, for example offering English lessons for parents and carers who are new to the United Kingdom.

What the school should improve

  • Sometimes the school does not ensure that pupils are secure in the knowledge they have been taught before moving on. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or develop misconceptions that are not quickly addressed. The school should continue to develop pedagogy so that teachers ensure pupils are secure in their understanding of subject content so that they can progress through the curriculum as intended.
  • The school does not have a coherent overview of the very many opportunities that are in place to promote pupils' wider development. This makes it difficult to track all the activities and to ensure that pupils from all backgrounds are taking advantage of these. The school should strengthen systems to identify all the opportunities that support pupils' wider development to ensure that these benefit all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

59 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths66%

66%, 4 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths15%

15%, 7 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score106

106, the same as the England average.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score104

104, 1 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

426 pupils on roll, with places for 695

Eligible for free school meals30%

30%, 3.5 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language74.6%

74.6%, 53 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support42%

42%, 27.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan11.7%

11.7%, 5.7 percentage points above the England average of 6%.

Schools near Downsell Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
The Jenny Hammond Primary School0.3 milesOfsted: Good83% met the expected standard
Colegrave Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Outstanding80% met the expected standard
Mayville Academy0.4 milesOfsted: Good73% met the expected standard
Maryland Primary School0.4 milesOfsted: Good64% met the expected standard
St Francis' Catholic Primary School0.5 milesOfsted: Good77% 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
Mr Deena Chetty
Address
Downsell Road, Leyton, London, E15 2BS
Local authority
Waltham Forest
URN
103044

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.