Schools by area › Essex › Harlowbury Primary School
Harlowbury Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Academy
Watlington Road, Old Harlow, Harlow CM17 0DX · harlowbury.essex.sch.uk · 01279 423444
On the mapSearch near CM17 0DX
Overview
- Ofsted
- Report card
- Jun 2026 · graded by area, with no overall grade
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 65%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Essex 63%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Reception, September 2025 entry · Essex Council
- Demand for places
- 0.7
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 184
- 88% of 210 places
- Local authority
- Essex
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 13.6%
- First language not English
- 33.7%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Net Academies Trust
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2025, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Essex Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 22 families put the school first and 30 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 30 | 22 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 29 | 19 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 97% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 30 | 19 | 0.6 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 30 | 27 | 0.9 | 93% |
Results
In 2024/25, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 0% the higher standard. Across Essex it was 63%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲65% | 62% | ||
| ▼0% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●104 | 106 | ||
| ●103 | 105 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 115056)
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Harlowbury Primary School on 16 June 2026 and published a report card: each area has its own grade, and there is no overall grade.
- Inclusion: Needs attention
- Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
- Personal development and well-being: Expected standard
- Early years: Expected standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Inspected
- 16 Jun 2026
- Report card
- Safeguarding
- Met
Graded areas
| Inclusion | Needs attention |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Needs attention |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and well-being | Expected standard |
| Early years | Expected standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Mar 2022
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Mar 2022Good
Quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years Good Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Sept 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Mar 2010Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Inadequate
What parents said
58% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (43 replies, to 2 January 2023).
- Recommend
- 58%
- Replies
- 43
- 23% · 2 Jan 2023
based on the 84% who raised concerns
based on the 35% who had a child bullied
based on 11 parents (26%) with SEND