Purford Green Primary School

Purford Green Primary School has shown effective action in maintaining the standards established at its previous inspection, sustaining a positive learning environment. The school is characterized by a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, supported by strong parental appreciation of the care offered to students. Noteworthy initiatives, such as a robust mental health program, contribute positively to pupils' overall well-being. While the school has many strengths, it needs to enhance the resources and pedagogical approaches for high-achieving pupils to ensure they reach their full potential.

Strengths

• Strong promotion of pupils' mental health and well-being.
• Effective phonics program leading to confident and fluent readers.
• Well-structured curriculum that promotes knowledge retention.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is particularly effective.
• Diverse extracurricular opportunities enhancing life skills.
• A collaborative and responsive school culture that supports staff well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• Resources and guidance for high-achieving pupils do not challenge them enough.
• Certain learning activities do not focus closely enough on essential knowledge.

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 Purford Green Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.0% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Purford Green 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 Purford Green Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 19.2% of pupils at Purford Green Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 2024–25 Purford Green Primary School received £7,522 and spent £7,300 for each of its 219 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £24,000 (£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

Purford Green Primary School is part of The Passmores Co-Operative Learning Community, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Purford Green Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Purford Green Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Purford Green Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Purford Green Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Purford Green Primary School have?

Purford Green Primary School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Purford Green Primary School cover?

Purford Green Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Purford Green Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Purford Green Primary School?

Purford Green Primary School is at Purford Green, Harlow, Essex, CM18 6HP.