George Tomlinson Primary School

About George Tomlinson Primary School

George Tomlinson Primary School sits within Waltham Forest, a London borough where 15 of 52 primary schools hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself ranks 45th out of 52 in the local authority, placing it behind top-performing neighbours like Riverley Primary School, Yardley Primary School and St Mary's CofE Primary School. Just 0.3 kilometres away, Davies Lane Primary School is the nearest Outstanding-rated option. George Tomlinson has held a Good rating across its most recent inspections, including a 2023 ungraded inspection which confirmed the school remains Good. Headteacher Nicola Wilson leads a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision on site. The school is oversubscribed: for 80 places in 2025/26, it received 263 applications, with 65 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.29. Of its 537 pupils, 13.5 per cent are eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national average for primary schools.

Academically, George Tomlinson's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show 61 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Waltham Forest local authority average of 74 per cent. The school's ranking score of 61 places it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally and regionally. In individual subjects, 83 per cent met the expected standard in reading, 75 per cent in maths and 75 per cent in writing. Higher attainment was stronger in reading, where 44 per cent achieved a high score, compared with 22 per cent in maths. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 106 in maths. The school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is not possible to compare how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The previous graded inspection in 2018 rated leadership and management, early years provision and overall effectiveness all as Good, with the same rating carried forward in the 2023 ungraded visit.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a library, ICT suite, gymnasium, music rooms, sensory room, forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers dance, cricket, gymnastics and cross country, while extracurricular clubs include drama, choir, coding, art, chess and eco club. George Tomlinson has a wide range of SEND provisions, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. For families considering this school, the oversubscription figures indicate strong local demand, though the academic outcomes sit below the borough average. The school may suit parents who prioritise a Good-rated setting with strong early years provision, a forest school and a range of clubs, rather than those seeking top-tier academic results within Waltham Forest.

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