The Lea Primary School and NurserySt Nicholas CofE VA Primary School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harpenden.
Summary of the comparison
The Lea Primary School and Nursery and St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School are primary schools in Harpenden.
The Lea Primary School and Nursery scores 81 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School scores 76 out of 100 (grade B, strong). The Lea Primary School and Nursery is ahead on our composite score.
The Lea Primary School and Nursery was judged exceptional and St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School 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 70.0% for The Lea Primary School and Nursery and 91.0% for St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School.
The share of pupils meeting the expected standard at Key Stage 2 has fallen at The Lea Primary School and Nursery (93.0% in 2022-23, 70.0% in 2024-25) and has risen at St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (79.0% in 2022-23, 91.0% in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HarpendenThe Lea Primary School and Nursery | HarpendenSt Nicholas CofE VA Primary School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B81/100Stronger figure | B76/100 | |
| Local ranking | 13th of 391 in Hertfordshire Stronger figure | 40th of 391 in Hertfordshire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Community school | Voluntary aided school | |
| Phase | Primary | Primary | |
| Age range | 3-11 | 4-11 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 227 | 154 | |
| Capacity | 236 | 154 | |
| Location | Harpenden, AL5 4LE | Harpenden, AL5 2TP | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | 70.0% | 91.0% Stronger figure | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | 7.0% Stronger figure | 5.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | 104.0 | 114.0 Stronger figure | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | 106.0 | 110.0 Stronger figure | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 227 | 154 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 10.7% | 3.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 19.8% | 16.2% | |
| SEN support | 15.0% | 7.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.1% | 0.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.5% | 3.1% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 11.7% | 4.8% Stronger figure | 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.
The Lea Primary School and Nursery
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School
Full profiles: The Lea Primary School and Nursery · St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School