Crabtree Junior School, Harpenden
Crabtree Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Harpenden, part of Ivy Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 10 schools in Harpenden with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Crabtree Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Crabtree Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (92% in reading, 89% in maths).
Getting a place at Crabtree Junior School
Across Hertfordshire, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Hertfordshire lodged 319 appeals against primary school offers; 155 reached a hearing and 21 succeeded (13.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Crabtree Junior School are Crabtree Infants' School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); High Beeches Primary School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 98% reading, 95% maths); St Dominic Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles); and The Grove Junior School (0.5 miles, Good, 91% reading, 86% maths).
Crabtree Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Crabtree Infants' SchoolHigh Beeches Primary SchoolSt Dominic Catholic Primary SchoolThe Grove Junior School
The trust
Crabtree Junior School is one of 17 schools run by Ivy Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
0.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 43 pupils (16.8%) received SEN support and 5 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tylers (near), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Crabtree Junior School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Crabtree Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Crabtree Junior School are Sir John Lawes School (0.5 miles), Katherine Warington School (0.6 miles), St George's School (0.7 miles) and Roundwood Park School (1.4 miles).
Sir John Lawes SchoolKatherine Warington SchoolSt George's SchoolRoundwood Park School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
0.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 88% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 91% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
32.0
Avg class size
32.0
KS2
8
Total classes
8 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Crabtree Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Crabtree Junior School.
- FizzBug @ Crabtree Junior SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Stagecoach Harpenden830m away · Not yet graded
- Barracudas - Harpenden850m away · Not yet graded
- Fizzbug @ The Grove Junior School880m away · Not yet graded
- Cascade Camps at Katherine Warington School910m away · Not yet graded
- FizzBug @ Grove Infant School930m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Crabtree Junior School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Hertfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Crabtree Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Crabtree Junior School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
257 pupils
256 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Harpenden
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harpenden
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
43
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
18.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
256
Total Pupils
136
Boys
120
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
21.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,201
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1319k
Total funding
£2k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
4.2%
Persistent absence
260
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Crabtree Junior School
What are SATs results like at Crabtree Junior School?
Of the pupils at Crabtree Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 88% did so in maths.
What is Crabtree Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Crabtree Junior School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Crabtree Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Crabtree Junior School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Crabtree Junior School?
Crabtree Junior School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Crabtree Junior School?
Classes at Crabtree Junior School average 32 pupils (2025/26). 8 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Crabtree Junior School?
Crabtree Junior School has around 256 pupils on roll. 1% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Crabtree Junior School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Crabtree Junior School in 2024/25. 4.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Crabtree Junior School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Crabtree Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Crabtree Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: FizzBug @ Crabtree Junior School (registered, not yet graded). There are 5 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Crabtree Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Crabtree Junior School?
Crabtree Junior School is at Crabtree Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5PU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)