Academy sponsor led · Essex

Water Lane Primary Academy

4–11Ages
198Pupils
PrimaryPhase
141194URN

Broadley Road, Harlow, CM19 5RD · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodJun 2017

School remains GoodUngraded inspection · May 2023

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.2per place

1.2 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

28 applications for 23 places · 355th of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

36%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodJun 2017

School remains GoodUngraded inspection · May 2023

Inspection history

11 May 2023
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good
14 June 2017
Graded inspection: Good

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

1.2applications per place, Reception

1.2 below Essex median (2.4) 1.0 below England median (2.2)

28 applications · 23 places offered · 20 named it first

2026 1.2; Essex median median 2.4
2025 1.6; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2023 1.5; Essex median median 2.4
2022 1.5; Essex median median 2.4
2021 1.9; Essex median median 2.3
2020 1.4; Essex median median 2.4
2019 1.8; Essex median median 2.5
2018 1.6; Essex median median 2.5
2017 1.4; Essex median median 2.6
2016 1.9; Essex median median 2.8
2015 2.6; Essex median median 2.7
2014 2.3; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 12 years.

This school
Essex median

Dashed bars: as Water Lane Primary School (URN 132223), Sumners Primary School (URN 114907), the previous school.

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	23	28	1.2	20	0.87
Sep 2025	27	42	1.6	24	0.89
Sep 2024	22	45	2.1	22	1.00
Sep 2023	30	45	1.5	23	0.77
Sep 2022	25	37	1.5	21	0.84
Sep 2021	30	57	1.9	28	0.93
Sep 2020	24	34	1.4	24	1.00
Sep 2019	27	49	1.8	26	0.96
Sep 2018	27	44	1.6	28	1.04
Sep 2017	23	31	1.4	16	0.70
Sep 2016	27	50	1.9	27	1.00
Sep 2015	27	70	2.6	27	1.00
Sep 2014 *	27	61	2.3	29	1.07

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 60% · Writing 76% · Maths 48% → all three 36% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard36%367th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard60%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard4%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 100 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard76%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth8%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard48%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard8%

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	36%	4%	100	97
2023/24	27%	0%	101	98
2022/23	48%	7%	102	99

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

Water Lane Primary AcademyThis school
This school

Remains Good2023

1.2applications per place 36%met the SATs standard
Milwards Primary School and Nursery
0.8 km · Essex

Good2023

2.3applications per place 77%met the SATs standard
Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery
1.0 km · Essex

2026

1.5applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Kingsmoor Academy
1.1 km · Essex

Standards maintained2025

2.8applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Jerounds Primary Academy
1.2 km · Essex

Good2022

2.2applications per place 76%met the SATs standard
St Luke's Catholic Academy
1.5 km · Essex

Good2023

1.9applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
St James Church of England Primary School
1.6 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

2.4applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
Longwood Primary Academy
1.9 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

1.6applications per place 77%met the SATs standard
Abbotsweld Primary Academy
2.0 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

2.0applications per place 73%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 141194 · 881/2110
Trust: Reach2 Academy Trust
Capacity: 210 pupils · 198 on roll
Free school meals: 32.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2014
Replaced: Water Lane Primary School (URN 132223); Sumners Primary School (URN 114907)
Address: Broadley Road, Harlow, CM19 5RD
Local authority: Essex · Harlow

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