The Downs Primary School and Nursery

About The Downs Primary School and Nursery

The Downs Primary School and Nursery in Harlow was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in January 2023. The inspection team awarded Good across all five graded categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The most telling exam metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, where 45% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits well below the Essex local authority average of 62%, and it places the school 25th out of 28 primary schools in Harlow, in the bottom 50 nationally. The average scores in reading (102) and maths (101) are both just above the national benchmark of 100, though the proportion reaching the higher standard is low: 14% in reading, 11% in maths and just 4% in writing.

Looking more closely at the breakdown, 70% of pupils achieved the expected standard in both reading and writing individually, and 61% did so in maths, suggesting that the combined measure is being pulled down by pupils not hitting the mark across all three subjects simultaneously. The school serves a community with 30.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, and this context is relevant when interpreting the results. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 90% of the 40 respondents would recommend the school, and 95% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy here. Strong majorities also felt the school has high expectations (88%), that their child does well (93%), and that concerns are dealt with properly (63% agreed or strongly agreed, though 8% disagreed).

The school is oversubscribed for Reception entry in 2025/26, with 51 applications for 24 places and all 24 first-preference offers taken up, giving a ratio of 2.13 applicants per place. Facilities include an ICT suite, sensory room, gymnasium and music rooms, while the sports programme covers football, cricket, netball, gymnastics and swimming. Clubs range from choir and art to chess, coding, film and eco club. The nursery provision runs from age three, and the school supports children with a wide range of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families in Harlow, this is a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating and is clearly popular locally, though the academic outcomes are an area to watch closely against the Essex average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Downs Primary School and Nursery

Helpful Guides for Parents