Northwold Primary School

Northwold Primary School is a highly inclusive and ambitious school where pupils, including those with SEND, thrive academically and personally. Inspectors found that pupils love learning, achieve exceptionally well, and benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum with a strong emphasis on reading, writing, mathematics, the arts and humanities. Behaviour and attendance are excellent, and pupils show courtesy, respect and a strong sense of responsibility towards their school community. The school's personal development provision is exceptional, with pupils developing confidence through performances, debates, citizenship activities and a wide range of trips and enrichment opportunities. Early years provision is also strong: children settle quickly, become curious learners and secure key phonics knowledge rapidly. Staff are well trained and supported by leaders and the trust, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The inspection was a graded inspection under the current framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given. The school was previously judged Good and is part of the Arbor Academy Trust. No areas for improvement were identified in the report; all key judgements were outstanding.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive culture that supports all pupils, including those with SEND, to thrive
• Exceptionally clear, well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum across subjects
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well academically and personally
• Strong priority on reading, writing and mathematics, with highly effective phonics support
• Pupils are highly motivated and love learning
• Excellent behaviour and strong attendance
• Exceptional personal development provision, including citizenship and philosophical discussion
• Wide range of trips, performances, competitions and musical opportunities
• Skilled staff with strong subject knowledge and effective questioning
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Early years provision encourages curiosity, collaboration and quick phonics progress
• Strong training and support from leaders, colleagues and the trust

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 Northwold Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.0% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Northwold 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 Northwold Primary School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.2% 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, 18.4% of pupils at Northwold Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% 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 Northwold Primary School received £9,471 and spent £8,603 for each of its 297 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £77,000 (-£260 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Arbor Academy Trust, income was £8,050 and spending £7,758 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 Hackney · Hackney local authority: places and applications

Northwold Primary School is part of Arbor Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Davies Lane Primary School London
• Selwyn Primary School London
• Woodford Green Primary School Woodford Green

What is Northwold Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Northwold Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Northwold Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Northwold Primary School have?

Northwold Primary School has 316 pupils on roll.

What age range does Northwold Primary School cover?

Northwold Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Northwold Primary School?

Northwold Primary School is at Northwold Road, Clapton, London, E5 8RN.