Harewood Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

About Harewood Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Harewood Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a popular choice among local families, with oversubscription figures that speak for themselves. For the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 60 applications for just 15 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4:1. Of those applications, 12 were first-preference choices, and 10 families were offered a place in the first round. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, the high demand suggests strong local confidence. The school is a state primary for mixed genders aged 5 to 11, with a Church of England character, and is led by headteacher Alistair Ratcliffe. It currently has 100 pupils on roll, just below its capacity of 105, and 9 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Good marks across all categories including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.

Academically, Harewood performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Leeds local authority average of 61 per cent. This places the school 2nd out of 204 primary schools in the local authority rankings, and within the top 5 per cent nationally. Pupils achieved particularly strong results in reading, with an average scaled score of 111 and 70 per cent reaching the higher standard. In maths, the average score was 106, with 10 per cent reaching the higher standard and 90 per cent meeting the expected standard. No pupils reached the higher standard in writing. Progress scores are not available in the data, but the high attainment figures indicate solid teaching across the core subjects. The school’s previous Ofsted inspection in 2008 rated it Outstanding, though the current rating reflects a Good standard across all areas.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a Forest School, music rooms, art studios, a library, an ICT suite, a chapel, and playing fields. Sports provision includes netball, football, gymnastics, cricket, athletics, tennis and cross country, while extracurricular clubs cover science, art, coding, chess and eco activities. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its strong academic outcomes and high local demand, Harewood is best suited to families who prioritise a Church of England primary with a proven track record in core subjects and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process. The school does not offer nursery provision or boarding.

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