North Downs Primary School
North Downs Primary School is a converter academy in Betchworth for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 383 pupils and room for 436. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Wheelers Lane, Brockham, Betchworth, RH3 7LA01737 843384northdowns.surrey.sch.ukMrs Jane Douglass headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 7 June 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
62 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. These are the results of North Downs Primary School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Surrey | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 62 | 64 | 59 | 61 | 63 | 62 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 50% | 58% | 58% | 59% | 75% | 66% | 67% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 5% | 5% | 13% | 17% | 13% | 11% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 105.0 | 105.0 | 108.0 | 103.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 101.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 105.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 102.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 106.3 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 79% | 73% | 75% | 70% | 87% | 85% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 66% | 59% | 64% | 74% | 86% | 73% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 71% | 72% | 71% | 69% | 84% | 84% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +0.2 | +0.5 | +1.4 | +1.4 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -3.2 | +1.0 | +0.1 | -1.8 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 0% | – | 14% | 9% | – | 67% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 60% | – | 63% | 70% | – | 66% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for North Downs Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
About 39 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up.
The last child to get a place lived 3.9 miles away in 2026, 3.5 miles away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 3.9 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 4 | 4 | 3.9 miles | LA |
| 2025 Primary | 4 | 4 | 3.5 miles | LA |
| 2024 Primary | 4 | 3 | – all offered | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (18), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (13), emotional and mental health (12), Other difficulty or disability (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Specific learning difficulty (2).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.2% | 7.0% | 6.1% | 7.3% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.6% | 5.4% | 4.8% | 6.0% | 2.3% | 3.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 12.7% | 18.8% | 18.0% | 20.4% | 7.1% | 8.8% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for North Downs Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Paul's CofE Primary School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 397 | Good 2024 | 61 | Compare |
| St John's Church of England Primary School | Academy | 2.1 miles | 210 | Good 2021 | 6 | Compare |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School | Academy | 2.3 miles | – | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
| St Martin's CofE Primary School | Academy | 2.4 miles | 364 | Not inspected | 92 | Compare |
| Powell Corderoy Primary School | Academy | 2.6 miles | 196 | Good 2022 | 64 | Compare |
| Sandcross Primary School | Academy | 3.1 miles | 644 | Report card 2026 | 25 | Compare |
| Surrey Hills All Saints Primary School | Academy | 3.3 miles | 125 | No overall grade 2025 | 57 | Compare |
| Reigate Priory Community Junior School | Council | 3.4 miles | 494 | Outstanding 2024 | 88 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is North Downs Primary School a good school?
North Downs Primary School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in June 2023.
What is North Downs Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated North Downs Primary School good at its last full inspection on 7 June 2023.
How good are North Downs Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 50% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does North Downs Primary School have?
383 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 436 places, so it is 88% full.
Is North Downs Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 3.9 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at North Downs Primary School?
Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at North Downs Primary School?
The average class had 31.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 100% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Wheelers Lane, Brockham, Betchworth, RH3 7LA
- Telephone
- 01737 843384
- Website
- www.northdowns.surrey.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Jane Douglass
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- Everychild Partnership Trust (7 schools)
- Local authority
- Surrey
- Ward
- Brockham, Betchworth, Buckland, Box Hill & Headley
- Constituency
- Dorking and Horley
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2025 (academy converter)
- URN
- 151480 · LAESTAB 9362072 · UKPRN 10096982
- Formerly
- North Downs Primary School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Surrey council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.