Harlesden Primary School
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Acton Lane London NW10 8UT |
| Phone | 02089657445 |
| Reference Number | 101499 |
Harlesden Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school in a highly deprived area of London, with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and a well-above-average proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans. This was a full section 5 inspection in June 2026. Safeguarding standards are met. Across the graded areas, achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development are at the expected standard. Pupils achieve in line with national expectations by the end of Year 6, with disadvantaged pupils sometimes outperforming their peers nationally, and mathematics is a particular strength. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, inclusion is central to the school's work, and personal development is well structured. Strengths include a positive, nurturing culture where pupils are happy, behaviour is a strength, and staff know pupils well. Leadership has an accurate understanding of priorities, governance is increasingly rigorous, and staff wellbeing and professional development are prioritised. Early reading and phonics are taught consistently, and additional funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils, those known to social care, and pupils with English as an additional language. Concerns remain. Attendance is below national averages, with high persistent absence, especially among pupils with SEND; recent actions are appropriate but too early to show sustained impact. Early years provision needs attention: the ambitious curriculum is not implemented consistently, activities sometimes lack precision, and staff do not routinely check or extend children's learning and vocabulary. Across the school, teachers' checks on understanding are inconsistent, misconceptions are not always corrected, and SEND adaptations are not always precise. Leaders acknowledge that strategic oversight of teaching quality, particularly in the early years and across all subjects, needs to be sharper.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 306 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.58%
Girls: 45.42% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 52.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 78.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 27.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 22.5 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 31.5 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 19 | 41 |
| 2 | 19 | 25 | 44 |
| 3 | 24 | 21 | 45 |
| 4 | 29 | 18 | 47 |
| 5 | 17 | 14 | 31 |
| 6 | 19 | 13 | 32 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| African | 30.1% |
| White, Other | 15.4% |
| Asian, Other | 6.5% |
| White, British | 5.6% |
| Caribbean | 4.6% |
| Mixed, Other | 3.6% |
| Pakistani | 3.3% |
| Indian | 2.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.7% |
| Irish | 0.3% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Needs attention |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Needs attention |
| Last Report Date | 09 Jun 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 09 Jun 2026 | School inspection |
| 07 Jun 2022 | School inspection |
| 06 Jul 2021 | Monitoring visit |
| 12 Sep 2018 | Full inspection |
| 15 Jul 2014 | Full inspection |
| 11 Feb 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 07 Nov 2012 | Full inspection |
| 25 May 2011 | Full inspection |
| 15 Jun 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 08 May 2008 | Full inspection |
| 17 May 2004 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve in line with national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
- Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are similar to or better than disadvantaged pupils nationally in some subjects.
- Mathematics curriculum is well sequenced and pupils achieve well.
- Early reading and phonics are taught consistently, helping pupils read more confidently.
- Inclusion is at the heart of the school; leaders identify needs swiftly and use external agencies effectively.
- Additional funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils, those known to social care, and pupils with English as an additional language.
- Personal development is well structured, covering safety, healthy lifestyles, British values and diversity.
- Behaviour is a strength; pupils are kind, supportive, tolerant and focused in lessons.
- Pupils feel safe, know how to report concerns, and bullying is rare and dealt with quickly.
- Staff know pupils well and provide effective pastoral support that reduces barriers to learning.
- Leaders have an accurate understanding of strengths and priorities, and governance provides effective support and challenge.
- Staff wellbeing is considered, and professional development opportunities are prioritised.
- Extra-curricular activities and trips are inclusive and popular, enriching pupils' experiences.
- Safeguarding standards are met.
Areas for Improvement
- Attendance is below national averages and persistent absence is high, especially for pupils with SEND.
- Improvements to attendance are at an early stage and not yet fully proven.
- Early years provision is inconsistent; activities sometimes lack precision and are not closely matched to learning intentions.
- Early years staff do not routinely check and address children's knowledge and skills or extend their vocabulary.
- Teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are inconsistent, so misconceptions are not always corrected and gaps remain.
- Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not always precise, and staff do not always use SEND information effectively.
- Teaching quality is less consistent in key stage 1 and early years than in key stage 2.
- Strategic oversight of teaching and learning is not sharp enough to ensure consistently high-quality teaching across all subjects.
- Leaders' actions to improve teaching quality need to be more precise to bring about further improvement.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 62% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 10% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 105 | ||
| Maths | 104 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -1.9 | ||
| Writing | -3.2 | ||
| Maths | -0.2 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 16 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 19 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 4 | 1 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
John Keble CofE Primary School
Crownhill Road, London, NW10 4DR |
0.34 miles |
|
Maple Walk School
62a Crownhill Road, London, NW10 4EB |
0.4 miles |
|
The Stonebridge School
Shakespeare Avenue, London, NW10 8NG |
0.45 miles |
|
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
Wesley Road Hillside, Harlesden, London, NW10 8PP |
0.51 miles |
|
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School
Goodson Road, Willesden, London, NW10 9LS |
0.52 miles |
|
Fawood Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre
35 Fawood Avenue, London, NW10 8DX |
0.55 miles |
|
Newfield Primary School
Longstone Avenue, Willesden, London, NW10 3UD |
0.57 miles |
|
Curzon Nursery School & Family Wellbeing Centre
Curzon Crescent, London, NW10 9SD |
0.6 miles |
|
Leopold Primary School
Hawkshead Road, Willesden, NW10 9UR |
0.61 miles |
|
Furness Primary School
Furness Road, Harlesden, London, NW10 5YT |
0.73 miles |
|
Brentfield Primary School
41-43 Meadow Garth, London, NW10 0SL |
0.76 miles |
|
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Garnet Road, Willesden, London, NW10 9JA |
0.79 miles |
|
Mitchell Brook Primary School
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0.82 miles |
|
Kenmont Primary School
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0.92 miles |
|
Donnington Primary School
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0.97 miles |
|
St Andrew and St Francis CofE Primary School
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1.17 miles |
|
College Green School and Services
161 College Road, London, NW10 3PH |
1.17 miles |
|
Phoenix Arch School
Drury Way, London, NW10 0NQ |
1.19 miles |
|
West Twyford Primary School
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1.24 miles |
|
John Perryn Primary School
Long Drive, Acton, London, W3 7PD |
1.25 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Saint Claudine's Catholic School for Girls
Crownhill Road, London, NW10 4EP |
0.36 miles |
|
Newman Catholic College
Harlesden Road, Brent, London, NW10 3RN |
0.67 miles |
|
Edith Kay Independent School
32, Crouch Road, Brent, London, NW10 8HR |
0.71 miles |
|
Harris Lowe Academy Willesden
Doyle Gardens, Willesden, London, NW10 3ST |
0.87 miles |
|
North Brent School
Neasden Lane, London, NW10 2UF |
0.99 miles |
|
Queens Park Community School
Aylestone Avenue, London, NW6 7BQ |
1.57 miles |
|
The Avenue School
Christchurch Avenue, London, NW6 7BH |
1.57 miles |
|
Ark Burlington Danes Academy
Wood Lane, London, W12 0HR |
1.65 miles |
|
Alperton Community School
Stanley Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex, HA0 4JE |
1.69 miles |
|
Wembley Manor
163 London Road, Wembley, Brent, HA9 7EU |
1.7 miles |
|
Woodlane High School
Du Cane Road, Hammersmith, London, W12 0TN |
1.73 miles |
|
Bales College
2J Kilburn Lane, London, W10 4AA |
1.8 miles |
|
Phoenix Academy
The Curve, London, W12 0RQ |
1.81 miles |
|
Brondesbury College London
8 Brondesbury Park, London, NW6 7BT |
1.85 miles |
|
North West London Independent Special School
85 Old Oak Common Lane, East Acton, Ealing, London, Middlesex, W3 7DD |
1.85 miles |
|
Menorah High School for Girls
105 Brook Road, London, NW2 7BZ |
1.87 miles |
|
St Augustine's Priory
Hillcrest Road, Ealing, London, W5 2JL |
1.87 miles |
|
Ark Elvin Academy
Cecil Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex, London, Middlesex, HA9 7DU |
1.88 miles |
|
E-ACT Crest Academy
Crest Road, Neasden, London, NW2 7SN |
1.91 miles |
|
Cambridge School
61, Bryony Rd, White City, London, W12 0SP |
1.92 miles |