Roundwood Primary School, Harpenden

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Roundwood Primary School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a broad and sequenced curriculum."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's personal development programme is sequenced well."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Staff make sure that pupils gain the knowledge they need to learn across the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Typically pupils attend well, including many who are disadvantaged."

Early years - Expected standard. "The early years curriculum is well designed to meet the needs of the children."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Teachers identify pupils' additional needs promptly and accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious and dedicated to making decisions in the best interest of the pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should continue to develop greater precision in their oversight, including the focus on some disadvantaged pupils and some children in the early years, so that they can strengthen the impact of their actions and secure consistently high standards across the school's work. • Leaders should more closely analyse the performance of different vulnerable groups of pupils, so they can more accurately identify priorities to continue to improve their attendance".

In its own words: "Roundwood Primary School is a place of opportunity, friendship and understanding, where learning and enjoyment go hand-in-hand. All members of our school community have a part to play in our continual development and are valued, respected, and included. Our school equips pupils with a love of learning, preparing them for a changing world."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Here at Roundwood Primary our learning environment will engage and challenge the children, not only to achieve their full potential, but also to enjoy and develop a thirst for learning with our relevant and inspiring curriculum."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, drama, chess, coding, art and French.

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Roundwood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 93% in reading and 98% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Roundwood Primary School as their first choice and 127 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Roundwood Primary School are St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 100% reading, 95% maths); Wood End School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 87% reading, 92% maths); Harpenden Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 91% reading, 81% maths); and The Lea Primary School and Nursery (1 mile, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths).

Roundwood Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

110 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Roundwood Primary School (as of April 2026): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 59% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (59%).

2.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (62%), Mixed (13%) and Asian (10%).

In 2026, 33 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 7 (2.1%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.

1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Roundwood Park School (outside), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Roundwood Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often other theft, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).

Roundwood Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to Roundwood Primary School are Roundwood Park School (under 0.1 miles), St George's School (0.8 miles), Sir John Lawes School (1.1 miles) and Katherine Warington School (1.7 miles).