Willow Brook Primary School Academy

Willow Brook Primary School Academy has reaffirmed its status as an outstanding school during this ungraded inspection, being recognized for its enriching and ambitious curriculum that effectively prepares pupils for future education. The school fosters a positive and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to engage deeply in their learning. This focus on high expectations leads to excellent behavior and a strong sense of community among students. Moreover, the strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is notable, ensuring that all children can access the curriculum effectively.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate excellent behavior and engagement in learning.
• The curriculum is rich, broad, and ambitious, exceeding national expectations.
• Effective support and adaptations for pupils with SEND allow them to achieve well.
• Strong emphasis on early reading and phonics leads to successful outcomes.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of additional activities and cultural experiences.
• Communication with parents is highly regarded and considered a strength.

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 Willow Brook Primary School Academy attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.5% 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 Willow Brook Primary School Academy 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 Willow Brook Primary School Academy had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.0% 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, 16.2% of pupils at Willow Brook Primary School Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% 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 2024–25 Willow Brook Primary School Academy received £7,622 and spent £7,660 for each of its 651 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,006,000 (£1,546 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Griffin Schools Trust, income was £7,909 and spending £8,064 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Waltham Forest · Waltham Forest local authority: places and applications

Willow Brook Primary School Academy is part of The Griffin Schools Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Riverley Primary School London
• Lammas School London
• Saxon Way Primary School Gillingham
• Kingfisher Community Primary School Chatham
• Lordswood School Chatham
• Nicholas Chamberlaine School Bedworth
• Exhall Junior School Warwickshire
• Race Leys Junior School Bedworth
• Park Lane Primary School Nuneaton
• Chivenor Primary School Birmingham

What is Willow Brook Primary School Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Willow Brook Primary School Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Willow Brook Primary School Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Willow Brook Primary School Academy was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Willow Brook Primary School Academy have?

Willow Brook Primary School Academy has 660 pupils on roll.

What age range does Willow Brook Primary School Academy cover?

Willow Brook Primary School Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Willow Brook Primary School Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Willow Brook Primary School Academy?

Willow Brook Primary School Academy is at 190 Church Road, Leyton, London, E10 7BH.