School Chooser

Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil273 pupilsNurseryHarrogateNorth Yorkshire
School Chooser Score
14
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 7 to 26, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, October 2023
Reached the expected level at 1145%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families22%A bit fewer than most schools
Places7 spare273 pupils, 280 places
Pupils per teacher22.7School workforce census

Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School is a council school in Harrogate for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 273 pupils and room for 280. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 14 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Grove Road, Harrogate, HG1 5EP01423 506060groveroad.n-yorks.sch.ukMr Richard Walker headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 26 October 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

42 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1145%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level7%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 55%55%20172018: 38%38%20182019: 59%59%20192023: 16%16%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 45%45%2025
Since 2017: -10%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North YorkshireEngland
Pupils tested424944413438
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths45%47%16%59%38%55%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths7%4%2%7%6%11%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0106.099.0104.0105.0105.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0102.095.0102.0101.0106.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0102.098.0106.0103.0106.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard64%78%43%68%82%71%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard62%61%18%61%50%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)50%51%48%83%76%68%
Reading progressReading progress score-5.1+0.4+2.9+2.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-7.0-1.8-0.7+2.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged29%27%0%43%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged56%53%23%62%35%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
29%56%
Gap 27 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
41%50%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
40%45%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%7%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full284 pupils for 298 places, 2024/25
95% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to North Yorkshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll273Census January 2026
Places28098% full
Pupils from low-income families22%22% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English37%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support29%79 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%18 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.310 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£91,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls143 / 130
White British pupils59%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 11 pupils, for autism, speech, language and communication.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in North Yorkshire with autism provision.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (33), Moderate learning difficulty (21), Autistic spectrum disorder (19), emotional and mental health (13), Specific learning difficulty (5), Multi-sensory impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll273281293303293302
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%25%23%24%23%24%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language37%31%27%26%27%26%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%28%30%32%24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%7%8%7%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%6.2%7.0%6.4%2.9%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.7%4.7%5.0%2.2%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.5%2.3%1.4%0.7%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.1%12.5%22.5%18.4%4.0%6.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.50.31.34.80.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers12.0full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher22.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants17.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,761
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.82024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,917England £7,738. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£7,513England £7,697. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,069England £3,480
Money in reserve-11%In the red: -£237k, -£844 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£113kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,917spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m49712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate98 per 1,000 people8% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop170 mWaterloo Street, 12 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Harrogate, Bilton Grange Primary SchoolAcademy630 m308Good 202360Compare
Coppice Valley Primary SchoolAcademy690 m206Report card 202680Compare
St Robert's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy780 m270Good 202382Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Harrogate, A Voluntary AcademyAcademy830 m191Good 202092Compare
Richard Taylor Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy990 m278Good 202258Compare
New Park Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles165Good 202437Compare
St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles243Good 202474Compare
Western Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles478Outstanding 202487Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats10%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 14 is 45 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 59 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 14 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 14% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 7 to 26. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.18
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 42 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.35
DfE progress measure; 42 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.18
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 255 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.20
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 42 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School scores 14 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 7 to 26, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 26 October 2023.

How good are Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 45% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 7% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School have?

273 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 280 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School?

The average class had 27.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Grove Road, Harrogate, HG1 5EP
Telephone
01423 506060
Website
www.groveroad.n-yorks.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Richard Walker
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
North Yorkshire
Ward
Coppice Valley & Duchy
Constituency
Harrogate and Knaresborough
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
121395 · LAESTAB 8152329 · UKPRN 10077218

Where these figures come from