The Lea Primary School and Nursery, Harpenden
The Lea Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Harpenden. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 10 schools in Harpenden with published results, and 7,353rd of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 105% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Lea Primary School and Nursery in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at The Lea Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Lea Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put The Lea Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 107 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Lea Primary School and Nursery are Manland Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 94% reading, 94% maths); Sauncey Wood Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths); St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 100% reading, 95% maths); and Harpenden Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 91% reading, 81% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than The Lea Primary School and Nursery.
Manland Primary SchoolSauncey Wood Primary SchoolSt Nicholas CofE VA Primary SchoolHarpenden Academy
What parents say
107 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Lea Primary School and Nursery (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
12.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (11.7%) received SEN support and 3 (1.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Masefield Road (opposite), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Lea Primary School and Nursery stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 80 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 Lea Primary School and Nursery issued 4 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to The Lea Primary School and Nursery are St George's School (0.5 miles), Sir John Lawes School (0.6 miles), Katherine Warington School (1 mile) and Roundwood Park School (1 mile).
St George's SchoolSir John Lawes SchoolKatherine Warington SchoolRoundwood Park School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are proud to attend this school. They have excellent attitudes to their learning. Pupils are motivated to achieve the high standards set by the school. Pupils are excited to come to school and they enjoy being with their friends in a caring and inclusive environment. Older pupils act as great role models, demonstrating the school values of kindness and respect. For example, they really enjoy being reading buddies to younger pupils. Pupils are safe in school.
Pupils achieve exceptionally well. The school has designed a programme of study that is ambitious and reflects the needs and interests of pupils in the school. This ambition is clear from the very start of the early years and continues through to Year 6. Staff know exactly what pupils need to know and remember to be successful at the next stage of their learning. Staff are skilled at checking what pupils know and making sure they are ready for their next steps.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils study the full range of subjects as determined by the national curriculum. The school makes sure all pupils access the full range of subjects, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has given careful consideration to what pupils learn and this often extends beyond the national curriculum. In history, the school has included many opportunities for pupils to apply their historical knowledge to their local area, for example learning about the children evacuated to Harpenden during the Second World War.
Subject leaders across the school think about the best order to teach the knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. They break knowledge down into small chunks so that pupils can build on their prior learning step by step. For example, in geography, pupils learn about rainforests in Year 5, building on their prior knowledge of biomes from Year 2 and Year 4. Staff skilfully check what pupils know and can do in lessons and when looking at pupils' work in books. When teachers identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or any misconceptions that pupils might have, they address these immediately. As a result, pupils build on their knowledge over time and have an excellent recall of what they have learned.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its December 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
12.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
107 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 90% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 90% to 83% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Lea Primary School and Nursery.
- Timeout After School and Breakfast Club CIO750m away · Not yet graded
- Stagecoach Harpenden910m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
The Lea Primary School and Nursery 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Lea Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Lea Primary School and Nursery 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
Your chances of a place at The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at The Lea Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Lea Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Lea Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Lea Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Lea Primary School and Nursery for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
105%
Over capacity
208 pupils
198 places
10 pupils 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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
13.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
239
Total Pupils
128
Boys
111
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,759
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,411
Per pupil
£1203k
Total funding
£24k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
11.7%
Persistent absence
179
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
The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Questions parents ask about The Lea Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at The Lea Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is The Lea Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
The Lea Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When The Lea Primary School and Nursery 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 Lea Primary School and Nursery?
The Lea Primary School and Nursery was full in 2025, at 105% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at The Lea Primary School and Nursery average 29.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
The Lea Primary School and Nursery has around 239 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
5.5% of sessions were missed at The Lea Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 11.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Lea Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Lea Primary School and Nursery on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does The Lea Primary School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Lea Primary School and Nursery: Timeout After School and Breakfast Club CIO (750m away, registered, not yet graded) and Stagecoach Harpenden (910m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are The Lea Primary School and Nursery's term dates?
The Lea Primary School and Nursery 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 Lea Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Lea Primary School and Nursery?
The Lea Primary School and Nursery is at Moorland Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4LE.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)