High Beeches Primary School

High Beeches Primary School continues to demonstrate outstanding performance, maintaining its high standards since its last inspection in 2017. The school provides a safe and nurturing environment where pupils thrive academically and socially. Teaching quality is exceptional, with strong leadership that has ensured a highly ambitious curriculum. Pupils are highly engaged and show a love for learning, enhanced by a rich array of extracurricular activities that promote their development beyond academics. The inspection highlights the school's commitment to inclusivity, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring their needs are met effectively. There is a strong emphasis on reading and phonics from the early years, enabling pupils to become fluent readers. The supportive atmosphere fosters a sense of community among pupils, who take on various roles that nurture responsibility and resilience, contributing to their overall character development.

Strengths

• Exceptional teaching quality across all subjects
• Highly ambitious and well-organized curriculum
• Strong leadership and effective staff development
• High engagement and enthusiasm for learning among pupils
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics from an early age
• Rich variety of extracurricular activities that enhance pupil development

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at High Beeches Primary School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at High Beeches Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 High Beeches Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.5% of pupils at High Beeches Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 High Beeches Primary School received £5,954 and spent £5,917 for each of its 420 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £304,000 (£723 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Harpenden · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is High Beeches Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for High Beeches Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was High Beeches Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

High Beeches Primary School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does High Beeches Primary School have?

High Beeches Primary School has 420 pupils on roll.

What age range does High Beeches Primary School cover?

High Beeches Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are High Beeches Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is High Beeches Primary School?

High Beeches Primary School is at Aldwickbury Crescent, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5SD.