Primary schools3 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Northmetpit · CC0CSchool Grade
Schools in Waltham Abbey · DfE, Ofsted
Waltham Abbey’s state schools get lower results than 73% of towns in England
A strong pass in English and maths, grade 5 or better, went to 37% of Waltham Abbey’s pupils, below both Essex’s towns (44%) and towns in England (45%). 4 state-funded schools are located in Waltham Abbey’s built-up area. Waltham Abbey grades C for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #66 of 81 in Essex. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
4
3 primary, 1 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
59%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
42.8
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
37%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
School Grade
Waltham Abbey grades C for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (59% meet the standard)Better than 37% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (42.8 and 37%)Better than 25% of towns in England
Each of Waltham Abbey’s 3 primaries: % meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (2023–25)
England’s average schoolEssex’s average school
The primary figure: 3 primaries in the town, 553 pupils in results over three years. Waltham Abbey has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 6 graded secondaries in and within 3 km of the town (862 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Waltham Abbey’s 4 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Waltham Abbey’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Results and intake
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
Primaries: KS2 reading, writing and maths against free school meals
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 20% at Leverton Primary School to 34% at King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy. Against schools with the same intake, Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy does best: 65% with 28% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 61%. 1 of 3 primaries are above the line.
Show as a table
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Holy Cross Primary AcademyKS2 % | 28% | 65% | 61% | +4 |
| Leverton Primary SchoolKS2 % | 20% | 57% | 63% | −6 |
| Hillhouse CofE Primary SchoolKS2 % | 22% | 51% | 63% | −12 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
Getting a place
How school places work in Waltham Abbey
Essex County Council handles applications for every state school in Waltham Abbey, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 1 of Waltham Abbey’s 4 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
King Harold Business & Enterprise108%
Hillhouse99%
Waltham Holy Cross incl. nursery95%
Leverton incl. nursery92%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
4 state schools in Waltham Abbey
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Waltham Abbey’s schoolsA 0B 1C 2D 1
Secondary schools1 · best GCSE results first
Village schools near Waltham Abbey1 · outside any built-up area; Waltham Abbey is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Good 1Report card 1Ungraded inspection only 2
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Waltham Abbey’s 4 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Harold Business & Enterprise AcademyApril 2026 | Met | Needs attention | Needs attention | Expected standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Needs attention |
Who runs them
3 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kemnal Academies TrustKing Harold Business & Enterprise | 1 | 812 | D |
| Net Academies TrustWaltham Holy Cross | 1 | 598 | B |
| Epping Forest Schools Partnership TrustHillhouse | 1 | 341 | C− |
| Essex County CouncilLeverton | 1 | 436 | C |
After 16
Where Waltham Abbey’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Waltham Abbey teaches 11 to 16. The nearest college is Capel Manor College, a further-education college 3 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
0 of 1
state schools in Waltham Abbey
Colleges within 12 miles
4
nearest: Capel Manor College
Grammar schools in Essex
4
selective state secondaries
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| Capel Manor CollegeFurther-education college · EN1 4RQ | 3 mi |
| Sir George Monoux CollegeFurther-education college · E17 5AA | 6.3 mi |
| Waltham Forest CollegeFurther-education college · E17 4JB | 6.6 mi |
| Harlow CollegeFurther-education college · CM20 3LH | 6.9 mi |
Towns its size
234th of 302 English towns of 13,000 to 25,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Waltham Abbey, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amersham Buckinghamshire | A+ | 79% | 64.3 | 83% |
| … | |||||
| 230 | Stowmarket Suffolk | C | 61% | 41.4 | 33% |
| 231 | Colne Lancashire | C | 61% | 40.1 | 36% |
| 232 | Peterlee County Durham | C | 48% | 47.8 | 46% |
| 233 | Hythe and Dibden Purlieu Hampshire | C | 61% | 41.8 | 34% |
| 234 | Waltham Abbey Essex | C | 59% | 42.8 | 37% |
| 235 | Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley Kent | C | 61% | 40 | 32% |
| 236 | Eastwood Nottinghamshire | C | 57% | 44 | 40% |
| 237 | Tadley Hampshire | C | 54% | 45.7 | 41% |
| 238 | Heysham Lancashire | C | 62% | 38.4 | 30% |
| … | |||||
| 302 | March Cambridgeshire | D− | 45% | 36.7 | 30% |
Neighbours
Waltham Abbey and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
Waltham CrossCheshuntLower NazeingLoughtonTheydon BoisBuckhurst HillEppingWaltham Abbey
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Abbey 4 schools | C | 59% | 42.8 |
| Waltham Cross 5 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 1.8 mi | C− | 51% | 45.3 |
| Cheshunt 18 schools · 3 mi | B− | 60% | 46.6 |
| Lower Nazeing 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.5 mi | B | 64% | 47.1 |
| Loughton 11 schools · 3.6 mi | B+ | 64% | 48.4 |
| Theydon Bois 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.8 mi | B+ | 64% | 49.8 |
| Buckhurst Hill 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.3 mi | B+ | 62% | 52 |
| Epping 2 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.3 mi | A | 68% | 51 |
Epping has the best-graded schools nearby (A). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Waltham Abbey: 8% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Waltham Abbey
Are schools in Waltham Abbey good?
Waltham Abbey’s state schools earn a C against schools across England: primary results beat 37% of towns in England; secondary results beat 25% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Essex council.
What is the best primary school in Waltham Abbey?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Waltham Holy Cross Primary Academy: 65% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Waltham Abbey secondary schools have sixth forms?
No. The state secondary teaches 11–16; students move at 16 to a college, a sixth form elsewhere or an apprenticeship.
How do I apply for a school place in Waltham Abbey?
Through Essex County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Waltham Abbey are full?
1 of 4 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Waltham Abbey?
4 open state-funded schools are located in Waltham Abbey’s built-up area: 3 primary, 1 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.