Best Schools in Harlow

How many schools are there in Harlow?

Harlow has 42 open schools: 31 state primary, 8 state secondary or all-through, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Harlow are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Harlow was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 39 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Harlow get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Harlow with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Mark's West Essex Catholic School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Burnt Mill Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.2 and 49% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Sir Frederick Gibberd College, with an Attainment 8 score of 44.7 and 42% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolBurnt Mill AcademySir Frederick Gibberd College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Harlow have the best SATs results?

Of the 30 primary schools in Harlow with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery (93% in reading, 95% in maths); Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery (95% in reading, 90% in maths); and Henry Moore Primary School (87% in reading, 90% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Hare Street Community Primary School and NurseryTany's Dell Primary School and NurseryHenry Moore Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Harlow?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Harlow selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Harlow have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Harlow have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Harlow?

Apply to Essex through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.