Harrold Primary Academy: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Harrold Primary Academy as their first choice and 14 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 14 in 2021 to 9 in 2026, while places went from 14 to 9.
Across Bedford, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Bedford lodged 29 appeals against primary school offers; 14 reached a hearing and 1 succeeded (7.1% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 14 | 13 | 29 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 14 | 14 | 24 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 17 | 14 | 26 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2019 | 20 | 20 | 29 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 20 | 19 | 33 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2017 | 20 | 20 | 41 | 1.0 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.