Hackney Downs

Summary

Hackney Downs (E02000354) is part of Hackney local authority (view on map). Hackney Downs has an approximate population of 9,600 people, of which 17% are children 15 years old and under. It is classified as "urban: nearer to a major town or city".

Hackney Downs neighbours Stoke Newington East & Cazenove, Stoke Newington North, Lower Clapton, Stoke Newington South, Amhurst Road & Pembury Estate, Hackney Central, Clapton Leaside, and Upper Clapton.

Headlines

  • 49% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 7% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
  • 66% of pupils belong to a minority ethnic group, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England – see more.
Guidance and data sources

Local area pages are based on the middle-layer super output areas (MSOAs) distributed across the country. MSOAs comprise between 2,000 and 6,000 households and have a resident population of, generally, between 5,000 and 15,000 people. MSOAs fit within local authorities. For each area, descriptive statistics are compared with local authority and national averages. For more information about MSOAs, please visit the Office for National Statistics website.

The data displayed is sourced from:

Deprivation

Hackney Downs is the 15th least deprived area in Hackney (out of 30) with 55% of children living in low-income families, compared to 64% across Hackney and 38% nationally.

Data source

State-funded pupil characteristics

Information acquired from the school census.

Free school meals

In Hackney Downs, 49% of state-funded pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared to 48% in Hackney and 27% nationally.

49% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

Table showing the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals

% in Hackney Downs % in Hackney % in England
Eligible for free school meals 49% 48% 27%
Not eligible for free school meals 51% 52% 73%

Data source

Special educational needs

In Hackney Downs, 24% of pupils in state-funded settings have special educational needs (SEN), compared to 21% in Hackney, and 19% nationally.

This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support.

7% of pupils have an EHC plan, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

Table showing the percentage of pupils with special educational needs in schools

% in Hackney Downs % in Hackney % in England
No special educational needs 76% 79% 81%
Receiving special educational needs support 17% 15% 14%
With an education, health, and care plan (EHCP) 7% 6% 5%

Data source

Ethnicity

In Hackney Downs, 66% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, compared to 63% in Hackney, and 33% nationally.

Percentages may not sum to 100%, due to small values being suppressed.

66% of pupils belong to a minority ethnic group, placing it in the top 10% of all areas in England.

Contents

Percentage of pupils by major ethnic groups

Table

% in Hackney Downs % in Hackney % in England
White 32% 36% 67%
Asian 16% 11% 14%
Black 31% 30% 7%
Mixed 13% 14% 7%
Other 6% 6% 3%
Not known 1% 2% 2%

Data source

English as an additional language

The percentage of pupils in Hackney Downs with English as an additional language is 44%, compared with 39% in Hackney, and 22% nationally.

Numbers may not sum to 100%, due to a small number of pupils with an unclassified language.

Contents

Percentage of pupils with English as an additional language

Table

% in Hackney Downs % in Hackney % in England
Known or believed to be other than English 44% 39% 22%
Known or believed to be English 56% 61% 78%

Data source

Provider information

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Registered childcare providers

Hackney Downs has 9 registered childcare providers.

Type Number in Hackney Downs
All childcare providers 9
Childminders 3
Pre-school/day nursery/out-of-school care 6

There have been no inspections of childcare providers in Hackney Downs since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data source

State-funded schools

Hackney Downs has 5 state-funded schools.

Type Number in Hackney Downs
All state-funded schools 5
Nursery schools 0
Primary and all-through schools 3
Secondary and all-through schools 0
Special schools 1
Registered alternative provision 1

There have been no inspections of schools in Hackney Downs since the introduction of the renewed education inspection framework in November 2025.

Data sources: