Downfield Primary School

About Downfield Primary School

Downfield Primary School sits within Hertfordshire’s Broxbourne borough, a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 2 to 11. In the local authority’s primary school rankings, it places 219th out of 401 schools, placing it in the bottom half of the county. Among its closest same-type peers in the area, the top-ranked schools include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and Harvey Road Primary School, both scoring 100 on the ranking metric, and The Russell School at 97. Downfield’s own ranking score of 58 places it well behind these local leaders. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 105 applications for 53 places and 44 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.98. That level of demand suggests it holds a solid reputation locally, even if it doesn’t top the league tables.

Academically, Downfield’s most recent Key Stage 2 results from 2023/24 show 58% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That’s slightly below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. In individual subjects, 82% met the expected standard in maths, 75% in reading and 60% in writing. Higher-attaining pupils are less common: 23% achieved a high score in maths and 26% in reading, with no pupils reaching the higher standard in writing or the combined measure. Average scaled scores were 106 in maths and 105 in reading. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024 judged it Good across all areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a consistent rating compared with its previous Good inspection in 2015. The 2024 inspection was a graded one, though no overall effectiveness grade was issued.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age 2 and has a dedicated SEN unit, with provisions covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and social, emotional and mental health support, among others. Facilities include a library, playing fields, forest school, music rooms, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, athletics, football, cricket, dance and gymnastics, while clubs extend to drama, book club, film club and gardening. Parent views from the most recent survey period (September 2024 to September 2025) were broadly positive: 98% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 98% felt their child is safe. However, only 65% agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 13% disagreed that the school has high expectations for their child. Downfield suits families who value a Good-rated primary with strong early years and SEND support, set in a well-resourced site that’s popular enough to be oversubscribed.

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