Downshall Primary School

About Downshall Primary School

Downshall Primary School sits within the Redbridge local authority, a London borough with 53 primary schools, 12 of which hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself ranks 29th in the LA on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it just below the midpoint. Its top-performing local peers include Al-Noor Voluntary Aided Muslim Primary School, Cleveland Road Primary School and St Bede's Catholic Primary School, all of which score higher on the same metric. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Grove Primary School, 1.9 kilometres away. Downshall is a state-funded, mixed-gender primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has no religious character and is led by headteacher Ian Bennett. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 146 applications for 59 places, with 52 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.47.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2015, Downshall was rated Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management, early years provision and overall effectiveness. An ungraded inspection in December 2018 confirmed the school remains Good. At key stage 2 in 2023/24, 72% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, slightly below the Redbridge LA average of 74%. However, the school’s average scaled scores were solid: 108 in maths and 107 in reading, both above the national benchmark of 100. A higher-than-average proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths (46%) and reading (38%), though writing and the combined higher measure both sat at 13%. Progress scores are not available for any subject, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. A quarter of pupils (25.3%) are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average.

Downshall offers a range of facilities including a library, outdoor playground, gymnasium, dining hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers dance, gymnastics, tennis, cross country and netball, while extracurricular clubs include art, gardening and choir. The school has a broad SEND offer, supporting pupils with moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. With 538 pupils on roll against a capacity of 630, the school is not at full capacity but is clearly popular locally given its oversubscription. It will suit families in Redbridge who want a Good-rated primary with strong maths and reading outcomes, a nursery for younger children, and a wide range of SEND support. Those seeking an Outstanding rating or a school with higher combined expected standards may want to look at the top-ranked peers nearby.

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