Potter Street Academy

Potter Street Academy has demonstrated effective strategies to sustain its previously established standards during this inspection. The school prides itself on creating an inclusive environment where pupils feel safe, valued, and involved in their learning. Strong relationships between staff and students contribute to a positive atmosphere, while a commitment to ambitious education ensures that most pupils achieve the expected outcomes in core subjects. Furthermore, the curriculum is evolving to be more inclusive and challenging, supporting the diverse needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, there are areas where consistency is lacking, particularly in providing all pupils with opportunities to deepen their understanding and learning experiences.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit a strong sense of pride in their school.
• The school promotes a calm and well-ordered environment.
• High expectations of achievement are maintained for all pupils.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Engagement in a rich variety of extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent opportunities for some pupils to deepen their understanding.
• Recent curriculum changes are not yet fully established.

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 Potter Street Academy attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.1% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Potter Street Academy 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 Potter Street Academy had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.6% 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, 22.8% of pupils at Potter Street Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 12 pupils.

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 2024–25 Potter Street Academy received £8,197 and spent £8,720 for each of its 198 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £21,000 (£109 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of The Passmores Co-Operative Learning Community, income was £7,390 and spending £7,091 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Harlow · Essex local authority: places and applications

Potter Street Academy is part of The Passmores Co-Operative Learning Community, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Passmores Academy Harlow
• Purford Green Primary School Harlow
• Pear Tree Mead Academy Harlow
• The Downs Primary School and Nursery Harlow
• Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow Harlow

What is Potter Street Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Potter Street Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Potter Street Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Potter Street Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Potter Street Academy have?

Potter Street Academy has 202 pupils on roll.

What age range does Potter Street Academy cover?

Potter Street Academy for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Potter Street Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Potter Street Academy?

Potter Street Academy is at Carters Mead, Harlow, Essex, CM17 9EU.