Harrison Primary School

About Harrison Primary School

Harrison Primary School sits in the Fareham area of Hampshire, a local authority with 425 primary schools, 33 of which hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school ranks 5th out of 22 primary schools within Fareham itself, placing it in the top quarter locally. Among its top-performing peers in the wider Hampshire area are Preston Candover Church of England Primary School, Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School, and St Faith's Church of England Primary School. Harrison is a state-funded, mixed primary for children aged 4 to 11, with no religious character. It is led by headteacher Sara Gmitrowicz and currently has 614 pupils on roll, just shy of its 630-capacity. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 11.9 per cent, slightly below the national average for primary schools. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, awarded the school Outstanding across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

Academically, Harrison performs well above the Hampshire average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 61 per cent. Reading scores are particularly strong: 92 per cent of pupils met the expected standard, and 38 per cent achieved the higher standard. In maths, 80 per cent reached the expected level, with an average scaled score of 105, and 22 per cent hit the higher benchmark. Writing saw 82 per cent at expected and 13 per cent at the higher level. Nationally, Harrison ranks in the top 23 per cent of all primary schools for its combined RWM expected score, and within the South East region it sits in the top 21 per cent. The school’s previous Ofsted inspection, back in 2010, also rated it Outstanding overall, though early years provision at that time was graded as Requires Improvement — a category that has since been raised to Outstanding in the latest inspection.

The school is clearly popular with local families. For the 2025/26 intake, Harrison received 149 applications for 81 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.84 applicants per place. Of those, 80 first-preference applications were made, and 80 offers were issued to first-preference families. Facilities include a library, playing fields, an outdoor playground, an ICT suite, music rooms, a sports hall and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, cricket, swimming, tennis and cross country, while clubs include book club, science club and art club. The school’s SEND provision is broad, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Harrison is a strong fit for families in Fareham who prioritise high academic standards and a well-rated local primary with a full range of support and enrichment activities.

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