Little Parndon Primary Academy

About Little Parndon Primary Academy

Little Parndon Primary Academy is a state primary school in Harlow, Essex, and the numbers tell a clear story about its current standing with local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 58 applications for 31 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.87. Of those, 27 first-preference families were offered a place, meaning that while demand exists, it is not overwhelming. The school does not publish a parent-view recommendation percentage, so the most direct signal of parental satisfaction comes from that application data. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, rated it Requires Improvement across all five categories, including overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This is a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2017, which may explain why some families are cautious.

Academically, the school's 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results show a mixed picture. Just 47% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, well below the local authority average of 62%. This places Little Parndon 24th out of 28 primary schools in Harlow, in the bottom half nationally. In individual subjects, reading and writing both saw 71% of pupils meeting expectations, while maths lagged at 58%. Only 10% of pupils achieved a higher standard in maths, and none did so in writing. Reading scores were slightly stronger, with an average scaled score of 103 and 12% reaching a higher standard. The school's Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is difficult to measure how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points, but the raw outcomes suggest significant room for improvement.

The school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, and a sensory room, and runs clubs such as Eco Club, Book Club, and Science Club. Sports provision is broad, with cricket, football, dance, netball, rounders, swimming, and tennis. SEND support is extensive, covering autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and other difficulties. With 36.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged community. For families prioritising strong academic outcomes, the nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery, just 0.9 km away. Little Parndon may suit families who value its inclusive SEND provision and broad extracurricular offer, but who are prepared to engage closely with the school's ongoing improvement journey.

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