The Grove Junior School, Harpenden
The Grove Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Harpenden. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 10 schools in Harpenden with published results, and 2,040th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Grove Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at The Grove Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% 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 (89% in reading, 89% in maths).
Getting a place at The Grove 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 The Grove Junior School are The Grove Infant and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); High Beeches Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 98% reading, 95% maths); Crabtree Infants' School (0.5 miles, Outstanding); and Crabtree Junior School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 94% reading, 88% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than The Grove Junior School.
The Grove Infant and Nursery SchoolHigh Beeches Primary SchoolCrabtree Infants' SchoolCrabtree Junior School
Who goes there
9.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 64 pupils (18.3%) received SEN support and 6 (1.7%) 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.
Staffing
The Grove Junior School had 25 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 1180 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barnfield Road (opposite), 200 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Grove Junior School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 52 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Grove Junior School issued 5 suspensions, 1.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Grove Junior School are Katherine Warington School (1 mile), Sir John Lawes School (1.1 miles), St George's School (1.2 miles) and Roundwood Park School (1.7 miles).
Katherine Warington SchoolSir John Lawes 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 school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
9.1%
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 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 81% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
28.9
KS2
9
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Grove Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Grove Junior School.
- Fizzbug @ The Grove Junior SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- FizzBug @ Grove Infant SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Barracudas - Harpenden590m away · Not yet graded
- FizzBug @ Crabtree Junior School840m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Grove Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Grove Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Grove 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
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 2 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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
99%
Near capacity
357 pupils
360 places
3 spare places 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
350
Total Pupils
177
Boys
173
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
14.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,002
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,014
Per pupil
£1900k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.9%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
369
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 The Grove Junior School
What are SATs results like at The Grove Junior School?
Of the pupils at The Grove Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is The Grove Junior School's Ofsted rating?
The Grove Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Grove Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When The Grove 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 The Grove Junior School?
The Grove Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at The Grove Junior School?
Classes at The Grove Junior School average 28.9 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Grove Junior School?
The Grove Junior School has around 350 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Grove Junior School?
2.9% of sessions were missed at The Grove Junior School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Grove Junior School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Grove 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 The Grove Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: Fizzbug @ The Grove Junior School (registered, not yet graded) and FizzBug @ Grove Infant School (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are The Grove Junior School's term dates?
The Grove Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near The Grove 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, 2 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 The Grove Junior School?
The Grove Junior School is at Dark Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 1QB.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)