Oakhill Primary School

Oakhill Primary School is a small, high-performing primary school that inspectors found to be exceptionally strong across all areas of its work. Pupils benefit from a highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, skilled teaching, and strong subject expertise, and they achieve very highly. Reading is a high priority, with effective phonics and targeted support helping pupils catch up quickly, while pupils with SEND are identified accurately and supported effectively. Behaviour and personal development are exceptional. Children in Reception settle quickly, pupils attend well, feel safe, behave extremely well and show resilience and a hunger to learn. Pupils take on meaningful leadership roles, enjoy a wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment opportunities, and are well prepared for life in modern society. Leaders work strongly with the Opossum Federation and the wider community, and staff value the professional development and workload benefits this brings. Parents are highly supportive, including of SEND provision, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has not been inspected under section 5 since 2013 because of its previous outstanding judgement. Under the current inspection framework, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded, but the school was judged outstanding in every key judgement and early years provision. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious, personalised and well-sequenced curriculum
• Skilled teaching supported by specialist subject experts
• Strong reading provision with effective phonics and targeted catch-up support
• Pupils with SEND achieve very well through accurate identification and effective adaptation
• Exceptional behaviour and attitudes, with pupils showing resilience and a hunger to learn
• Very strong personal development and wide enrichment opportunities
• Pupils take on significant leadership roles and represent the school proudly
• Children in early years settle quickly and get off to a rapid start
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong federation collaboration that reduces workload and supports staff development
• Highly appreciative and supportive parents and community

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 Oakhill Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.1% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Oakhill 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 Oakhill Primary School had 22.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 17.9% of pupils at Oakhill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Oakhill Primary School received £7,578 and spent £7,878 for each of its 207 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £85,000 (£412 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 Waltham Forest · Waltham Forest local authority: places and applications

What is Oakhill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakhill Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Oakhill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakhill Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Oakhill Primary School have?

Oakhill Primary School has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakhill Primary School cover?

Oakhill Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakhill Primary School?

Oakhill Primary School is at Alders Avenue, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9PY.