Freshwaters Primary Academy

Freshwaters Primary Academy has maintained the effective standards seen in its previous inspection. The school is noted for its welcoming atmosphere and strong relationships between staff and pupils, promoting a safe and inclusive environment. The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, leading to good pupil achievement. However, there are gaps in knowledge for some subjects, which hinder full understanding and retention of material.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Well-organised and ambitious reading curriculum
• Supportive extracurricular activities and sports competitions

Areas for Improvement

• Knowledge gaps in some subjects affecting learning retention
• Low attendance among a few pupils leading to missed learning opportunities

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 Freshwaters Primary Academy attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.4% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Freshwaters Primary 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 Freshwaters Primary Academy had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.0% 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, 8.0% of pupils at Freshwaters Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Freshwaters Primary Academy received £7,116 and spent £7,012 for each of its 409 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £215,000 (£525 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Bmat Education, income was £8,609 and spending £8,507 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 Harlow · Essex local authority: places and applications

Freshwaters Primary Academy is part of Bmat Education, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Burnt Mill Academy Harlow
• Bmat Stem Academy Harlow
• Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery Harlow
• Sir Frederick Gibberd College Harlow
• Little Parndon Primary Academy Harlow
• Mark Hall Academy Harlow
• Roydon Primary Academy Harlow
• Epping St John's Church of England School Epping
• Forest Hall School Stansted Mountfitchet
• Magna Carta Primary Academy Stansted Mountfitchet

What is Freshwaters Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Freshwaters Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Freshwaters Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Freshwaters Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Freshwaters Primary Academy have?

Freshwaters Primary Academy has 413 pupils on roll.

What age range does Freshwaters Primary Academy cover?

Freshwaters Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Freshwaters Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Freshwaters Primary Academy?

Freshwaters Primary Academy is at School Lane, Harlow, Essex, CM20 3QA.