Academy sponsor led · Essex

Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery

3–11Ages
443Pupils
PrimaryPhase
140024URN

Cooks Spinney, Harlow, CM20 3BW · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Nov 2024 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.6per place

0.8 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

94 applications for 59 places · 321st of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

38%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 12 November 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

12 November 2024
Graded inspection, no overall grade
24 May 2023
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Improving)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.6applications per place, Reception

0.8 below Essex median (2.4) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

94 applications · 59 places offered · 55 named it first

2026 1.6; Essex median median 2.4
2025 1.8; Essex median median 2.4
2024 1.9; Essex median median 2.4
2023 1.8; Essex median median 2.4
2022 1.7; Essex median median 2.4
2021 1.7; Essex median median 2.3
2020 1.8; Essex median median 2.4
2019 1.6; Essex median median 2.5
2018 2.1; Essex median median 2.5
2017 1.9; Essex median median 2.6
2016 1.8; Essex median median 2.8
2015 1.6; Essex median median 2.7
2014 1.5; Essex median median 2.8

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Essex median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	59	94	1.6	55	0.93
Sep 2025	59	107	1.8	53	0.90
Sep 2024	60	116	1.9	74	1.23
Sep 2023	60	106	1.8	63	1.05
Sep 2022	57	94	1.7	57	1.00
Sep 2021	60	99	1.7	58	0.97
Sep 2020	49	90	1.8	48	0.98
Sep 2019	59	93	1.6	59	1.00
Sep 2018	59	126	2.1	56	0.95
Sep 2017	60	112	1.9	73	1.22
Sep 2016	47	83	1.8	42	0.89
Sep 2015	60	95	1.6	56	0.93
Sep 2014	60	89	1.5	51	0.85

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 55% · Writing 63% · Maths 46% → all three 38% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard38%358th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard55%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard18%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 100 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard63%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth7%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard46%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard4%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 97 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Essex median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	38%	0%	100	97
2023/24	53%	6%	103	103
2022/23	53%	14%	102	103

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and NurseryThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.6applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery
0.8 km · Essex

Good2022

1.7applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
St Alban's Catholic Academy
0.8 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

1.9applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Freshwaters Primary Academy
1.0 km · Essex

Standards maintained2025

2.0applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
Church Langley Community Primary School
1.0 km · Essex

Remains Good2024

3.2applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Fawbert and Barnard's Primary School
1.3 km · Essex

Remains Good2022

4.3applications per place 52%met the SATs standard
The Downs Primary School and Nursery
1.4 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.9applications per place 52%met the SATs standard
Purford Green Primary School
1.4 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

2.9applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
Newhall Primary Academy
1.5 km · Essex

Good2023

3.0applications per place 67%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 140024 · 881/2094
Trust: Bmat Education
Capacity: 468 pupils · 443 on roll
Free school meals: 46.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision
Nursery: Has nursery classes
Opened: 1 December 2013
Replaced: Cooks Spinney Primary School and Nursery (URN 114930); Spinney Infant School (URN 114926)
Address: Cooks Spinney, Harlow, CM20 3BW
Local authority: Essex · Harlow

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources