Academy converter · Essex

Harlowbury Primary School

4–11Ages
184Pupils
PrimaryPhase
144664URN

Watlington Road, Old Harlow, Harlow, CM17 0DX · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Jun 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.4per place

close to Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

71 applications for 30 places · 167th of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

65%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 16 June 2026Published 19 July 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion			Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement		Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

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

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

16 June 2026
Report card · 5 Expected standard, 2 Needs attention
15 March 2022
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

2.4applications per place, Reception

close to Essex median (2.4) close to England median (2.2)

71 applications · 30 places offered · 22 named it first

2026 2.4; Essex median median 2.4
2025 1.6; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.5; Essex median median 2.4
2023 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2022 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2021 1.8; Essex median median 2.3
2020 3.0; Essex median median 2.4
2019 3.5; Essex median median 2.5
2018 3.9; Essex median median 2.5
2017 3.8; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
2016 3.7; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school
2015 3.0; Essex median median 2.7; as the previous school
2014 3.1; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school

This school
Essex median

Dashed bars: as Harlowbury Primary School (URN 115056), 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	30	71	2.4	22	0.73
Sep 2025	29	47	1.6	19	0.66
Sep 2024	30	74	2.5	29	0.97
Sep 2023	30	63	2.1	19	0.63
Sep 2022	30	63	2.1	27	0.90
Sep 2021	26	47	1.8	20	0.77
Sep 2020	19	56	3.0	12	0.63
Sep 2019	16	56	3.5	15	0.94
Sep 2018	19	74	3.9	11	0.58
Sep 2017 *	30	115	3.8	28	0.93
Sep 2016 *	27	100	3.7	21	0.78
Sep 2015 *	30	90	3.0	23	0.77
Sep 2014 *	29	91	3.1	26	0.90

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 85% · Writing 85% · Maths 69% → all three 65% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard65%197th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard85%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard15%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard85%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth4%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard69%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard8%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 103 (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	65%	0%	104	103
2023/24	70%	10%	104	105
2022/23	65%	6%	102	104

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

Harlowbury Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.4applications per place 65%met the SATs standard
Fawbert and Barnard's Primary School
0.8 km · Essex

Remains Good2022

4.3applications per place 52%met the SATs standard
Churchgate Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harlow
0.9 km · Essex

Good2024

2.5applications per place 35%met the SATs standard
Newhall Primary Academy
1.3 km · Essex

Good2023

3.0applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery
1.7 km · Essex

Good2022

1.7applications per place 83%met the SATs standard
Church Langley Community Primary School
2.1 km · Essex

Remains Good2024

3.2applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery
2.1 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2024

1.6applications per place 38%met the SATs standard
Henry Moore Primary School
2.5 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

2.0applications per place 78%met the SATs standard
St Alban's Catholic Academy
2.5 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

1.9applications per place 57%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 144664 · 881/2983
Trust: Net Academies Trust
Capacity: 210 pupils · 184 on roll
Free school meals: 13.6% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision and SEN unit
Opened: 1 October 2017
Replaced: Harlowbury Primary School (URN 115056)
Address: Watlington Road, Old Harlow, Harlow, CM17 0DX
Local authority: Essex · Harlow

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