Laurel Park School

About Laurel Park School

Laurel Park School’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.37 sits well below the Enfield local authority average of 0.09 for secondary schools, placing it 17th out of 20 schools in the borough. That gap is significant: the school’s pupils, on average, achieve nearly half a grade less per subject than their peers across the LA. The Attainment 8 score of 37.7 reinforces this picture, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is officially classed as ‘Below average’. Nationally, it ranks in the bottom quarter, at the 76th percentile among 3,141 schools. However, these headline figures don’t tell the whole story. The school serves a notably disadvantaged intake, with 42.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, more than double the national average. When you look at the breakdown, English Progress 8 (-0.16) is the strongest subject area, while the open element (-0.66) drags the overall score down. The EBacc entry rate of 48.5% is respectable, but only 15.8% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, Laurel Park School was judged Good across all five graded areas, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in December 2021, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with a grade 3 in quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The sixth form, which was not previously judged, also received a Good rating. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 90% of respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (88%), feels safe (90%), and that the school has high expectations (92%). On the academic side, 51.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and the basics 5+ measure sits at 33.9%. The school’s EBacc average point score of 3.45 is modest, but the sixth form provision is now formally recognised as Good, offering a pathway for students to continue post-16.

Laurel Park is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Enfield with a capacity of 800 but currently housing 539 pupils, so there is room for growth. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, with 247 applications for 119 places and 71 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.08. The school offers a broad range of facilities including science labs, a theatre, tennis courts, a sixth form centre, and playing fields. Sports provision is extensive, covering swimming, martial arts, football, rugby, and cricket, among others. There are over a dozen clubs including DofE, Model UN, coding, and chess. SEND support is well-documented, covering eight categories from dyslexia to autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. This is a school that has turned around from Requires Improvement to Good in a short period, and while its academic outcomes lag the LA average, the strong parent satisfaction and improving Ofsted grades suggest it is on an upward trajectory, particularly for families who value a supportive, inclusive environment over raw exam scores.

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