Freshwaters Primary AcademyThe Downs Primary School and Nursery
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harlow.
Summary of the comparison
Freshwaters Primary Academy and The Downs Primary School and Nursery are primary schools in Harlow.
Freshwaters Primary Academy scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The Downs Primary School and Nursery scores 44 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Freshwaters Primary Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Freshwaters Primary Academy was judged Good and The Downs Primary School and Nursery was judged the expected standard.
On the share of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, the latest published figures are 62.0% for Freshwaters Primary Academy and 52.0% for The Downs Primary School and Nursery.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has fallen at Freshwaters Primary Academy (66.0% in 2022-23, 62.0% in 2024-25) and has risen at The Downs Primary School and Nursery (46.0% in 2022-23, 52.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HarlowFreshwaters Primary Academy | HarlowThe Downs Primary School and Nursery | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | D44/100 | |
| Local ranking | 58th of 430 in Essex Stronger figure | 335th of 430 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 3-11 | 3-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 415 | 402 | |
| Capacity | 446 | 420 | |
| Location | Harlow, CM20 3QA | Harlow, CM20 3RB | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 62.0% Stronger figure | 52.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 5.0% Stronger figure | 4.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 106.0 Stronger figure | 103.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 105.0 Stronger figure | 102.0 | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 415 | 402 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 40.0% | 34.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 27.2% | 43.5% | |
| SEN support | 7.2% | 22.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.6% | 1.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.5% | 5.8% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 20.4% | 15.0% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
KS2: expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Freshwaters Primary Academy
The Downs Primary School and Nursery
Full profiles: Freshwaters Primary Academy · The Downs Primary School and Nursery