Selwyn Primary School

About Selwyn Primary School

Selwyn Primary School in Waltham Forest is a state primary that is genuinely oversubscribed, and the numbers explain why. With 708 pupils on roll against a capacity of 680, the school is running above its official limit, a clear sign of local demand. For the 2025/26 intake, there were 255 applications for 90 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.83. Only 79 of those 81 first-preference families received an offer, meaning even putting it top of your list is no guarantee. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 13.3%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively mixed but not disadvantaged-heavy intake. The school is non-religious, co-educational, and takes children from age 2 through to 11, with nursery provision on site. Headteacher Maureen Okoye leads a school that clearly commands strong local confidence.

Academically, Selwyn is one of the strongest primaries in Waltham Forest. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 86% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the local authority average of 74%. That places the school 7th out of 48 primaries in the borough, putting it in the top 15% locally and the top 10% nationally. At the higher standard, 15% of pupils achieved that top tier across all three subjects, with particularly strong reading scores — 41% hit the higher standard and the average scaled score was 109. Maths followed closely with an average of 107 and 38% at the higher level. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school received Outstanding across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. That is a clean sweep, upgraded from its previous Good rating in 2014.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a library, art studios, music rooms, playing fields and a chapel, alongside sports such as tennis, athletics, gymnastics, netball and dance. Clubs cover drama, science, film, eco and art, giving plenty of enrichment beyond the classroom. For families with children who have additional needs, Selwyn lists provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. That is a wide-ranging SEND offer for a mainstream primary. The school is not a boarding school and has no sixth form, so it is purely a primary and nursery setting. Given its oversubscription, strong outcomes and Outstanding rating, this is a school that suits families who can secure a place early and want a high-performing, well-resourced local option in Waltham Forest.

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