Downderry Primary School

Downderry Primary School is a highly inclusive and ambitious school where pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve strongly. At the end of key stage 2, combined reading, writing and mathematics attainment is consistently above national averages, and pupils make rapid progress from their starting points. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well taught, with a strong focus on reading, writing and mathematics; early years provision gives children an excellent start and inclusion is at the heart of the school’s work. Leadership and governance are strong, staff feel well supported, and personal development and wellbeing are prioritised. Behaviour is excellent and pupils feel safe and valued. Safeguarding standards are met. The main area for improvement is attendance. Although overall attendance is close to the national average and leaders already monitor and support attendance, persistent absence is slightly above the national average. The report’s next step asks leaders to continue analysing attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, so that improvement is rapid. This was a full section 5 inspection. The school is larger than average, has above-average SEN support and above-average location deprivation, and has no resourced SEND provision or alternative provision.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly, with key stage 2 combined reading, writing and mathematics attainment consistently above national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and attain above national averages in combined reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, make rapid progress from their starting points across the curriculum.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious, broad and well designed to meet pupils’ needs.
• Reading is taught well through a well-taught phonics programme with targeted catch-up support.
• Mathematics and writing are taught effectively, with writing linked to oracy from the early years.
• Early years provision gives children an excellent start in a stimulating environment.
• Inclusion is central, with leaders identifying needs early and adapting teaching effectively.
• Leadership and governance are strong, strategic and not complacent, with high-quality staff training.
• Staff feel valued and supported, and leaders manage workload and wellbeing well.
• Personal development and wellbeing are prioritised through an inclusive PSHE curriculum and the ‘Happy, Wise, Well’ programme.
• Behaviour is excellent, pupils are respectful and the school is calm and orderly.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, trips and leadership roles.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and understand their responsibilities.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance remains an ongoing priority, with persistent absence above the national average.
• Leaders need to continue analysing attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND to drive rapid improvement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Downderry Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Downderry Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Downderry Primary School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.7% of pupils at Downderry Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Downderry Primary School received £8,238 and spent £7,812 for each of its 463 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,676,000 (£3,624 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Lewisham · Lewisham local authority: places and applications

What is Downderry Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Downderry Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Downderry Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Downderry Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Downderry Primary School have?

Downderry Primary School has 477 pupils on roll.

What age range does Downderry Primary School cover?

Downderry Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Downderry Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Downderry Primary School?

Downderry Primary School is at Downderry Road, Downham, Bromley, Kent, BR1 5QL.