School profile

Freshwaters Primary Academy

Primary · Academy sponsor led · Harlow, CM20 3QA

Good

Map showing Freshwaters Primary Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#8,540 of 15,057

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Freshwaters Primary Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 23 Apr 2015

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years
Good

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages3 to 11
Pupils413
GenderMixed
Head teacherMiss Jackie Diggle
TrustBMAT EDUCATION
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Sept 2013
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139398.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%, similar to England, similar to Essex63%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.5%, worse than England, worse than Essex10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Essex106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to Essex105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.108, better than England, better than Essex105105
Expected standard in reading88%, better than England, better than Essex77%76%
Expected standard in writing67%, worse than England, worse than Essex73%73%
Expected standard in maths88%, better than England, better than Essex76%75%
Pupils taking tests60--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils413
Girls201
Boys212
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.36.8%
First language not English28.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.393
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.6.4%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.33
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.14
Average class size27.5

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
49.4%
Other White
15.3%
African
9.7%
Other mixed
6.5%
Other ethnic group
3.4%
Caribbean
2.4%
Pakistani
2.2%
Indian
1.9%
Other Black
1.9%
Bangladeshi
1.7%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.5
Teachers (FTE)19.5
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.62
Support staff (FTE)20.99
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2520.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2519.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.57
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.111
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.48
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.48
Applications from another local authority (Reception)2

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence5.8%, worse than England, worse than Essex5.3%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.17.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex13.3%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.3%, better than England, better than Essex1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate2.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Freshwaters Primary Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryThe Downs Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miSecondaryBurnt Mill AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.3 miSecondaryBmat Stem AcademyUniversity technical college
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Alban's Catholic AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondarySt Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryCooks Spinney Primary Academy and NurseryAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryPemberley AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryTany's Dell Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryWilliam Martin Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.9 miSecondarySir Frederick Gibberd CollegeFree schools
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Freshwaters Primary Academy

What is Freshwaters Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Freshwaters Primary Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 23 Apr 2015.

How does Freshwaters Primary Academy rank in England?

Freshwaters Primary Academy ranks 8,540 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are Freshwaters Primary Academy's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 62% of pupils at Freshwaters Primary Academy met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Freshwaters Primary Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Freshwaters Primary Academy made 57 offers from 111 applications (1.9 per offer), and 48 of 48 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Freshwaters Primary Academy?

Freshwaters Primary Academy has 413 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of Freshwaters Primary Academy?

Freshwaters Primary Academy had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Freshwaters Primary Academy?

At Freshwaters Primary Academy, the average class had 27.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Freshwaters Primary Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Freshwaters Primary Academy missed 5.8% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 17.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.