St Nicholas CofE VA Primary SchoolHarpenden Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harpenden.
Summary of the comparison
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School and Harpenden Academy are primary schools in Harpenden.
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Harpenden Academy scores 73 out of 100 (grade B, strong). St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School is ahead on our composite score.
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School was judged Good and Harpenden Academy was judged Good.
On the share of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, the latest published figures are 91.0% for St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School and 81.0% for Harpenden Academy.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has risen at St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (79.0% in 2022-23, 91.0% in 2024-25) and has held broadly level at Harpenden Academy (79.0% in 2022-23, 81.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HarpendenSt Nicholas CofE VA Primary School | HarpendenHarpenden Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B76/100Stronger figure | B73/100 | |
| Local ranking | 40th of 391 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 50th of 391 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Free schools | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 4-11 | 4-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 154 | 214 | |
| Capacity | 154 | Not reported | |
| Location | Harpenden, AL5 2TP | Harpenden, AL5 4EL | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 91.0% Stronger figure | 81.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 5.0% | 19.0% Stronger figure | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 114.0 Stronger figure | 110.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 110.0 Stronger figure | 106.0 | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 154 | 214 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 3.9% | 6.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.2% | 17.3% | |
| SEN support | 7.1% | 10.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.0% | 3.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 3.1% Stronger figure | 3.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 4.8% Stronger figure | 5.6% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
KS2: expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School
Harpenden Academy
Full profiles: St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School · Harpenden Academy