The Downs Primary School and Nursery

The Downs Primary School and Nursery at a glance

Located in Harlow, Essex, The Downs Primary School and Nursery is a primary school, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. The school educates roughly 402 pupils aged 3 to 11. 52% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, below the national average (national figure: 61%). The proportion reaching the expected standard has risen by 7.0 percentage points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 103 in reading and 102 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 4% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made The Downs Primary School and Nursery their first choice was offered one of its 39 Reception places. Overall pupil absence was 5.7%. There are about 21.2 pupils per teacher. The Downs Primary School and Nursery does not currently have a recent graded Ofsted judgement on record (often the case for newer or recently converted schools), so it is worth asking when its next inspection is expected. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.