Schools by area › Hertfordshire › The Lea Primary School and Nursery
The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Mixed · Ages 3–11 · Community school
Moorland Road, Harpenden AL5 4LE · lea-pri.herts.sch.uk · 01582 767939
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Oct 2024
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 70%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Hertfordshire 64%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- 0.54 mi
- 0.86 km · Reception, September 2026 entry · Not Nearest School · Hertfordshire Council
- Demand for places
- 1.3
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 239
- 3 over 236 places · 101%
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 11%
- First language not English
- 16.3%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, the last place offered under “Not Nearest School” went to a home 0.54 mi (863 m) from the school. Source: Hertfordshire Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 40 families put the school first and 30 places were offered; 68% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
Demand for places
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 30 | 40 | 1.3▲ | 68% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 30 | 22 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 30 | 33 | 1.1▲ | 76% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 30 | 35 | 1.2▲ | 86% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 29 | 25 | 0.9 | 100% |
Last distance offered
| Reception | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 0.54 mi0.86 km | |
| September 2024 | 3.82 mi6.14 km | |
| September 2022 | All | |
Every applicant was offered a place (29 allocations for 30 places).
Results
In 2024/25, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 7% the higher standard. Across Hertfordshire it was 64%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲70% | 62% | ||
| ●7% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●104 | 106 | ||
| ●106 | 105 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected The Lea Primary School and Nursery on 1 October 2024 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 1 Oct 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Early years | Outstanding |
Previously: Improving, ungraded inspection, Jun 2023
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jun 2023Ungraded inspectionImproving
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Feb 2018Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Dec 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Jan 2010Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Requires improvement
What parents said
96% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (107 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 96%
- Replies
- 107
- 47% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 52% who raised concerns
based on the 16% who had a child bullied
based on 18 parents (17%) with SEND