Harlow College, Harlow
Harlow College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Harlow. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Harlow College in detail
Harlow College in its own words
In its own words: "Explore courses, facilities and opportunities at Harlow College, from A Levels and vocational courses to apprenticeships, T Levels, university-level and adult learning. Meet staff and students, ask questions and discover your options. A quieter SEND Early Access session is also available."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and cooking.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 2 March 2027 and an open evening on Tuesday 2 March 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 1261 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 13% went on to university or other higher education, 9% to apprenticeships and 38% into work. 2% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harlow Town Rail Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
24 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bus Station (stand 13), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 508 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Strong
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Harlow College is a further education college in Harlow, Essex, England. This medium-sized college has 5,900 students as of 2018 of which 2,585 are on 16-19 programmes and 2,000 are on adult educational programmes.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
D+
Average grade
22.0
Points per entry
D+
Best 3 A-Levels
0%
Achieving AAB+
Below average
Value added
77
A-Level students
79%
Retention rate
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,261 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
2%
Top-third university
26%
Degree course
30%
Any L4+ destination
2%
Apprenticeships
Based on 592 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from Harlow College
The Aviation Industry Awards UK 2026
25 Sep 2026
Future pilots ready for take-off with exclusive pilot training partnership
25 Sep 2026
Engineering Council Chair Praises Stansted Airport College Students During Visit
22 Sep 2026
Harlow College Earns Fourth Apple Distinguished School Recognition
17 Sep 2026
Airport college expansion backed by £10 million investment
4 Sep 2026
College students celebrate outstanding A Level and T Level results
18 Aug 2026
From Harlow College's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Harlow College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 39
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 31 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 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
Area Demand Pressure - Harlow
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harlow
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(13)
Questions parents ask about Harlow College
What is Harlow College's Ofsted rating?
Harlow College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
What is the catchment area for Harlow College?
No fixed boundary. When Harlow College is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Harlow College?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Harlow College 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.
How many road collisions happen near Harlow College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 31 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Harlow College?
Harlow College is at Velizy Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM20 3LH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)