School profile

Harpenden Academy

Primary · Free schools · Harpenden, AL5 4EL

Good

Map showing Harpenden Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#1,559 of 15,057

Better than 89% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Harpenden Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 6 Jun 2019

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFree schools
Ages4 to 11
Pupils216
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Lisa Davies
TrustSCHOLARS' EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityHertfordshire
Opened01 Sept 2016
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 143648.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths81%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire64%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.19%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire11%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.110, better than England, better than Hertfordshire107106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Hertfordshire105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.111, better than England, better than Hertfordshire106105
Expected standard in reading91%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire79%76%
Expected standard in writing88%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire73%73%
Expected standard in maths81%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire76%75%
Pupils taking tests32--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils216
Girls119
Boys97
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.5.1%
First language not English18.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.48.6%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.21
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.6
Average class size30.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
55.1%
Other mixed
6.9%
Other White
6.5%
Chinese
6%
White and Asian
4.2%
Indian
4.2%
Other Asian
4.2%
African
2.3%
Other ethnic group
2.3%
White and Black Caribbean
1.9%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher22.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.8
Teachers (FTE)9.6
Teaching assistants (FTE)6.5
Support staff (FTE)9.46
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/259
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/256
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.30
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.105
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.30
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.23
Applications from another local authority (Reception)26

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolHertfordshireEngland
Overall absence3%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire4.9%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.3.1%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire12.1%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England, better than Hertfordshire1%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Harpenden Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimarySt Nicholas CofE VA Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.3 miPrimarySt Dominic Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.5 miSecondarySt George's SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.5 miPrimaryCrabtree Infants' SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.5 miNot applicableSt Hilda's SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
0.6 miPrimaryCrabtree Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.6 miSecondarySir John Lawes SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.6 miPrimaryManland Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHigh Beeches Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.8 miPrimaryRoundwood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Harpenden Academy

What is Harpenden Academy's Ofsted rating?

Harpenden Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 6 Jun 2019.

How does Harpenden Academy rank in England?

Harpenden Academy ranks 1,559 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 89% of schools).

What are Harpenden Academy's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 81% of pupils at Harpenden Academy met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Harpenden Academy?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Harpenden Academy made 30 offers from 105 applications (3.5 per offer), and 23 of 30 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Harpenden Academy?

Harpenden Academy has 216 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Harpenden Academy?

Harpenden Academy had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Harpenden Academy?

At Harpenden Academy, the average class had 30.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 22.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Harpenden Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Harpenden Academy missed 3% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 3.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.