Schools in Harlow
Harlow is a post-war Essex new town whose 42 schools are spread across its residential neighbourhoods - Staple Tye, Netteswell, Latton, Church Langley, Potter Street and the older town-centre wards. Essex County Council coordinates maintained school admissions and publishes neighbourhood catchment boundaries each autumn.
Harlow's new-town design means each residential neighbourhood was planned with a primary school: many primaries are Church of England voluntary-aided schools built alongside housing estates, and faith criteria apply ahead of distance for practising Christian families. For non-faith applicants, straightforward proximity determines priority.
Secondary options in Harlow include Passmores Academy, Stewards Academy and Burnt Mill Academy. Essex's published admissions data shows last-offered distances that vary significantly between schools year on year, reflecting population movements across the borough.
School demand in Harlow
Across the 40 schools in Harlow with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 95%. 12 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.
9 schools in Harlow have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.
31 of the schools in Harlow are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Essex, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.
16 of the schools in Harlow have a current Ofsted rating, of which 14 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.
Primary schools in Harlow: 10 oversubscribed (31)
Matching Green Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Primary · Voluntary controlled school
Harlow · CM17 0QB
Churchgate Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harlow
Primary · Voluntary aided school
Harlow · CM17 0LB
Church Langley Community Primary School
Primary · Community school
Harlow · CM17 9TH
Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Community school
Harlow · CM19 4BU
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Harlow
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 6JJ
St Alban's Catholic Academy
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM20 2NP
Kingsmoor Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 7PS
Freshwaters Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM20 3QA
Roydon Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 5HN
St Luke's Catholic Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 4LU
Potter Street Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM17 9EU
Purford Green Primary School
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 6HP
Little Parndon Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM20 1PU
Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM20 3BW
Pemberley Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM20 1NW
Water Lane Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 5RD
Pear Tree Mead Academy
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 7BY
Longwood Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 7RQ
Abbotsweld Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 6TE
Latton Green Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 7HT
St James Church of England Primary School
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 7RH
Henry Moore Primary School
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM17 9LW
Milwards Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 4QX
Harlowbury Primary School
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM17 0DX
Tany's Dell Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM20 2LS
Katherines Primary Academy and Nursery
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 5NJ
Jerounds Primary Academy
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM19 4PH
William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 6PN
William Martin Church of England Junior School
Primary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM18 6PN
Newhall Primary Academy
Primary · Free schools
Harlow · CM17 9SF
The Downs Primary School and Nursery
Primary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM20 3RB
Secondary Schools in Harlow (7)
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School
Secondary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 6AA
Passmores Academy
Secondary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 6JH
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow
Secondary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM18 7NQ
Burnt Mill Academy
Secondary · Academy converter
Harlow · CM20 2NR
Sir Frederick Gibberd College
Secondary · Free schools
Harlow · CM18 6RN
Bmat Stem Academy
Secondary · University technical college
Harlow · CM20 3EZ
Mark Hall Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led
Harlow · CM17 9LR
Other Schools in Harlow (4)
Harlow College
All through · Further education
Harlow · CM20 3LH
Harlow Fields School and College
Not applicable · Community special school
Harlow · CM18 6RN
Beckmead Moundwood Academy
Not applicable · Free schools alternative provision
Harlow · CM18 7EZ
The Greenwell Academy
Not applicable · Free schools special
Harlow · CM18 7EZ
Catchment area boundaries for schools in Harlow are set by Essex and updated each year. The "last distance offered", how far the furthest successful applicant lived, changes annually based on the number of applications received.