Find the best primary schools in Harlow. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Harlow has 30 primary schools, all in Essex council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 30, 7 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Harlow primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Potter Street Academy | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Latton Green Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Purford Green Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Jerounds Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Kingsmoor Academy | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Longwood Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
There are 30 primary schools in Harlow.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Harlow, that council is Essex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 30 primary schools in Harlow, 7 have a religious character: 4 Church of England and 3 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery (4.5), Potter Street Academy (4.3), Latton Green Primary Academy (4.3), Purford Green Primary School (4.3) and Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery (4.2). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 30 schools here, 29 have enough published data for a rating.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
| Milwards Primary School and Nursery |
| Mixed |
| 4.0 / 5 |
| Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Harlow | Roman Catholic | 3.9 / 5 |
| Newhall Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Pemberley Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Abbotsweld Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Alban's Catholic Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| Church Langley Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Henry Moore Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St Luke's Catholic Academy | Roman Catholic | 3.7 / 5 |
| Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Pear Tree Mead Academy | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Freshwaters Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St James Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| William Martin Church of England Junior School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Churchgate Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harlow | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| The Downs Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Little Parndon Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Harlowbury Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Fawbert and Barnard's Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Water Lane Primary Academy | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery | Mixed | 2.4 / 5 |
| William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.