Harpenden Academy

St Albans · AL5 4EL

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 216 pupils, 5.1% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 9.7% on SEN support Behaviour 3.9% absence rate Staff 14.7% turnover Financials £6,037 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Harpenden Academy

General Information

Address: 25 Vaughan Road, Harpenden, AL5 4EL – View on map
Phone: 01582716910
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Lisa Davies
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 30 families put it first for 30 places – 10 for every 10 places. 77% of them were offered a place. 11 of the 30 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 9 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

216 pupils on roll

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 11
% eligible for free school meals: 5.1%
Pupil mix: 7 in 10 (similar to the St Albans average)
English as an additional language: 18% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 14.7% a year (St Albans 16%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 5% moved to another school, 95% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Hertfordshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 33 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 13 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 3 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Hertfordshire (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 3.9%
Persistently absent pupils: 5.6%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 9.7%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.8%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 7 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 5 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 5 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil
Speech, language and communications needs: 1 pupil
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2019 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 81% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 19% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 5 percentage points above the St Albans average (76%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 81% against an expected 70%)
3-year average (expected standard): 81%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 91% · Writing 88% · Maths 81% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 91%
Average test scores: reading 110, maths 106
Based on: 32 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolSt Albans averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 5 percentage points above the St Albans average (76%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 13th of 42 junior and primary schools in the area

#11Saint Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy83%
#12The Grove Junior School82%
=13Harpenden Academy81%
=13St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans81%
=15High Beeches Primary School80%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Maple Primary School93%
=2Manland Primary School91%
=2St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School91%
=4Cunningham Hill Junior School87%
=4Prae Wood Primary School87%
=4Skyswood Primary & Nursery School87%
=4The Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans87%
=4Wheatfields Junior Mixed School87%
#9Crabtree Junior School86%
#10London Colney Primary & Nursery School85%
#11Saint Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy83%
#12The Grove Junior School82%
=13Harpenden Academy81%
=13St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans81%
=15High Beeches Primary School80%
=15Samuel Ryder Academy80%
=15St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School80%
=15Wood End School80%
=19Bernards Heath Junior School78%
=19Fleetville Junior School78%
=19Killigrew Primary and Nursery School78%
#22Alban City School77%
#23Mandeville Primary School75%
#24Oakwood Primary School74%
#25St Peter's School73%
=26Camp Primary and Nursery School71%
=26St Helen's Church of England Primary School71%
#28The Lea Primary School and Nursery70%
=29Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School69%
=29Roundwood Primary School69%
#31St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy68%
=32Park Street Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School67%
=32Redbourn Primary School67%
#34Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School66%
#35How Wood Primary and Nursery School62%
#36Margaret Wix Primary School61%
#37Sauncey Wood Primary School59%
=38Mount Pleasant Lane Primary School53%
=38Sandridge School53%
#40Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery50%
#41Windermere Primary School48%
#42Bowmansgreen Primary School41%

View full Ofsted inspection report

11th of 29 primary schools in St Albans for Ofsted rating

#9Camp Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#10Colney Heath Primary SchoolGood
#11Harpenden AcademyGood
#12How Wood Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#13Killigrew Primary and Nursery SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1High Beeches Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2St Dominic Catholic Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St AlbansOutstanding
#4Wood End SchoolOutstanding
#5Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolGood
#6Alban City SchoolGood
#7Beech Hyde Primary School and NurseryGood
#8Bowmansgreen Primary SchoolGood
#9Camp Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#10Colney Heath Primary SchoolGood
#11Harpenden AcademyGood
#12How Wood Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#13Killigrew Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#14London Colney Primary & Nursery SchoolGood
#15Manland Primary SchoolGood
#16Margaret Wix Primary SchoolGood
#17Mount Pleasant Lane Primary SchoolGood
#18Oakwood Primary SchoolGood
#19Prae Wood Primary SchoolGood
#20Sandridge SchoolGood
#21Sauncey Wood Primary SchoolGood
#22St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#23St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & NurseryGood
#24St Helen's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#25St Nicholas CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
#26St Peter's SchoolGood
#27The Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St AlbansGood
#28The Lea Primary School and NurseryGood
#29Windermere Primary SchoolGood

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,037 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

31st of 36 primary schools in St Albans for spending per pupil

#29Roundwood Primary School£6,302
#30St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School£6,132
#31Harpenden Academy£6,037
#32Wood End School£5,928
#33Killigrew Primary and Nursery School£5,919

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Sauncey Wood Primary School£10,549
#2Margaret Wix Primary School£10,336
#3Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery£8,638
#4Windermere Primary School£8,571
#5London Colney Primary & Nursery School£8,278
#6Sandridge School£8,248
#7Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School£7,797
#8How Wood Primary and Nursery School£7,610
#9Mount Pleasant Lane Primary School£7,551
#10Maple Primary School£7,476
#11St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy£7,459
#12Park Street Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School£7,304
#13The Lea Primary School and Nursery£7,165
#14Alban City School£7,146
#15Camp Primary and Nursery School£7,127
#16St Helen's Church of England Primary School£7,047
#17Bowmansgreen Primary School£6,941
#18Mandeville Primary School£6,832
#19St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans£6,817
#20The Abbey Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans£6,784
#21Manland Primary School£6,784
#22Redbourn Primary School£6,735
#23Prae Wood Primary School£6,693
#24St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School£6,690
#25Saint Bernadette Voluntary Catholic Primary Academy£6,654
#26Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School£6,550
#27St Peter's School£6,543
#28Skyswood Primary & Nursery School£6,395
#29Roundwood Primary School£6,302
#30St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School£6,132
#31Harpenden Academy£6,037
#32Wood End School£5,928
#33Killigrew Primary and Nursery School£5,919
#34Oakwood Primary School£5,834
#35High Beeches Primary School£5,685
#36St Dominic Catholic Primary School£1,639

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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