Earlsmead Primary School

About Earlsmead Primary School

Earlsmead Primary School in Harrow is a mixed state primary for children aged 3 to 11, currently home to 338 pupils against a capacity of 420. That leaves some headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 93 applications for just 33 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.82 to one. Of those applicants, 28 put Earlsmead as their first preference, and exactly 28 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who wanted it most got a spot. The school serves a notably diverse intake, with 29% of pupils eligible for free school meals — well above the national average for primary schools, which typically sits around 23-24%. That context matters when looking at outcomes, because Earlsmead is not a selective or privileged intake; it’s a genuinely local school drawing from a broad cross-section of the community. Headteacher Barbara Graham leads a school that has a nursery provision attached, so children can join from age three.

Academically, Earlsmead’s most recent Key Stage 2 results from 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 53%, compared with a Harrow local authority average of 72%. That places the school 38th out of 38 primary schools in the borough on this metric, and in the bottom 50% nationally. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects: 78% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, 71% in maths and 67% in reading. At the higher standard, 24% achieved it in maths and 22% in reading, though only 11% hit the higher threshold across all three. Average scaled scores were 105 in maths and 104 in reading, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. Ofsted’s most recent graded inspection, in 2020, rated the school Good overall, with all key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all judged Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in June 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, art and music rooms, a gymnasium, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, swimming, tennis, rounders and cricket, while clubs include gardening, drama, film club, choir, art club and book club. For families with children who have special educational needs, Earlsmead lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. Parent View responses, based on 16 respondents between September 2024 and September 2025, were generally positive: 87% of parents agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, 94% felt their child is safe, and 81% would recommend the school to others. However, there were some dissenting voices — 6% strongly disagreed on happiness and safety, and 19% would not recommend. This is a school that suits families who value a genuinely inclusive, non-selective local primary with strong pastoral care and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with academic results that sit below the Harrow average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Earlsmead Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents