Fernvale Primary School

About Fernvale Primary School

Fernvale Primary School is a mixed state primary in Harborough, Leicestershire, currently educating 340 pupils against a capacity of 420, meaning there is some headroom in its physical spaces. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 16.5%, which is worth noting in the local context. The school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 96 applications for just 45 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.13, and 41 of those applications were first-preference offers. That level of competition suggests a school that local families are actively choosing, even if it isn't full to the brim. The headteacher is Helen Cartledge-Splitt, and the school has no religious character. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in November 2024, confirmed that standards are maintained, keeping the overall Good rating it has held since at least its previous graded inspection in 2013.

Academically, Fernvale's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. Just 42% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is significantly below the Leicestershire local authority average of 62%. In the Harborough ranking, the school sits 29th out of 32 primary schools, placing it in the bottom tier nationally. Breaking it down, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 52% in maths, and 45% in writing. Higher-attaining pupils are a small group: 24% achieved the higher standard in reading, 12% in maths, and none in writing. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 100 in maths. There is no progress measure data available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds relative to starting points, but the raw outcomes are notably below the local norm.

The school offers a decent range of facilities including a sports hall, art studios, music rooms, an ICT suite, and an outdoor playground, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, dance, football and cricket, and there is a good selection of clubs from film and coding to chess and eco club. For SEND, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View responses, based on 66 respondents, show significant dissatisfaction in this area: 82% of parents who answered the SEND question disagreed or strongly disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need. Only 50% of respondents would recommend the school to another parent. This is a school that suits families who value a broad range of activities and are comfortable with its academic profile, but those with children who have additional needs may want to investigate further.

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