Little Harrowden Community Primary School

About Little Harrowden Community Primary School

Little Harrowden Community Primary School is a mixed state primary for children aged 4 to 11, currently educating 180 pupils against a capacity of 210. That leaves some physical headroom, but the school is clearly in demand: for the 2025/26 admissions cycle, it received 36 applications for just 18 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2:1. Of those, 16 were first-preference applications, and 16 first-preference offers were made — meaning every family who put it first got a place, but competition for the remaining two spots was stiff. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 13.3%, which is below the national primary average of around 23%, suggesting a relatively less deprived intake than many schools nationally. The school is non-denominational and sits within the North Northamptonshire local authority, where it ranks 15th out of 90 primary schools — comfortably inside the top 25% of the area.

Academically, Little Harrowden performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a North Northamptonshire average of 61%. That places the school 15th in the local authority and in the top 17% nationally. Results are particularly strong in maths: 90% of pupils met the expected standard and 43% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 108. Reading and writing also hold up well — 80% and 87% at expected respectively — though higher-standard attainment in writing (20%) is lower than in maths. Ofsted last inspected in January 2023 and confirmed the school remains Good, with all graded areas — early years provision, quality of education, leadership and management — rated Good. The previous graded inspection in 2015 also awarded Good overall, so the school has maintained a consistent standard over time.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, outdoor playground and a sensory room, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision covers athletics, rounders, football and cricket, and extracurricular options include film club, science club, coding and gardening. For children with additional needs, the SEND register is broad: the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and multi-sensory impairments, physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. There is no nursery or sixth form, and it is not a boarding school. For families in the North Northamptonshire area, this is a well-regarded, oversubscribed village primary with strong academic outcomes and a wide-ranging SEND offer — particularly suited to those who can secure a place via first preference.

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