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Schools in Market Harborough

A town in Leicestershire

  • Town
  • 18 schools and nurseries
  • 4,398 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Market Harborough at a glance

Ahead of England on results at 16

How Market Harborough's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries187 primary · 2 secondary · 7 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1163%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths65%Attainment 8 53.7, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary13%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school10%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Market Harborough

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Market Harborough primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Market Harborough

7 mainstream schools in Market Harborough, best first

Meadowdale Primary School

Market Harborough, LE16 7XQ · Academy · Primary · Ages 4 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results below the England average.

35 first choices, 35 offers made

Met the standard at 1157%

England 62%

Days missed
4.1%
Pupils
389
Pupils per teacher
24.6
View school Meadowdale Primary School
See all 7 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Market Harborough

2 mainstream schools in Market Harborough, best first

The Robert Smyth Academy

Market Harborough, LE16 7JG · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

223 first choices, 207 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1655.1

England 46.2

Days missed
6.6%
Pupils
1,349
Pupils per teacher
19.8
View school The Robert Smyth Academy

Welland Park Academy

Market Harborough, LE16 9DR · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Good

Results above the England average.

189 first choices, 206 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1652.3

England 46.2

Days missed
6.3%
Pupils
1,014
Pupils per teacher
18.0
View school Welland Park Academy
See all 4 secondary schools

Nurseries in Market Harborough

7 in Market Harborough, highest Ofsted grade first

See all 7 nurseries

Sixth Forms in Market Harborough

2 in Market Harborough, by the school's Eduscope score

The Robert Smyth Academy

Market Harborough, LE16 7JG · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

223 first choices, 207 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1655.1

England 46.2

Days missed
6.6%
Pupils
1,349
Pupils per teacher
19.8
View school The Robert Smyth Academy

Brooke House College

Market Harborough, LE16 7AU · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results well below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1610.1

England 46.2

Days missed
–
Pupils
86
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Brooke House College

Special Schools in Market Harborough

1 in Market Harborough. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

The Divergent School Harborough

Market Harborough, LE16 7JS · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Expected standard in every area

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
8
Pupils per teacher
–
View school The Divergent School Harborough

Private Schools in Market Harborough

2 in Market Harborough. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Brooke House College

Market Harborough, LE16 7AU · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 19

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results well below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1610.1

England 46.2

Days missed
–
Pupils
86
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Brooke House College

The Divergent School Harborough

Market Harborough, LE16 7JS · Independent · Secondary · Ages 11 to 16

  • Ofsted:Expected standard in every area

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
8
Pupils per teacher
–
View school The Divergent School Harborough
The map

Every school in Market Harborough, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Little Bowden School, Good in every areaBrooke House College, InspectedThe Robert Smyth Academy, GoodWelland Park Academy, GoodSt Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy, GoodMeadowdale Primary School, GoodRidgeway Primary Academy, Needs attention in 4 areasFarndon Fields Primary School, GoodMarket Harborough Church of England Academy, GoodWellington Place Primary SchoolThe Divergent School Harborough, Expected standard in every areaCastle Lane Day Nursery, Expected standard or betterLittle Angels Day Nursery, GoodMarket Harborough Montessori Nursery, GoodMini Adventures Preschool Ltd, Safeguarding not metBusy Bees Day Nursery at Market Harborough, Expected standard or betterCaterpillar Day Nursery Ltd, GoodPartou Progress House Day Nursery & Pre-School, Good
  • Good10
  • Not graded yet8
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Market Harborough school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Market Harborough's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Market Harborough by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Market Harborough vs England

How good are Market Harborough's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Market Harborough

Market HarboroughEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 4 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    2 of the 2 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    63%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    65%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    10%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    13%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 6 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding0
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Market Harborough in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
63% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap40%60%80%2018201920222023202420252026
65% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
10% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Market Harborough has 18 schools and nurseries.

There are 18% more pupils than in 2018.

13% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Market Harborough's state schools each January.

Up 18% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Market Harborough13%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Market Harborough

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

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Questions

Questions parents ask about Market Harborough

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Market Harborough?

Market Harborough has 18 schools, including 7 primary schools, 4 secondary schools, 7 nurseries, 2 independent schools, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Market Harborough?

The highest-ranked schools in Market Harborough on Eduscope are The Robert Smyth Academy, Welland Park Academy, St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Market Harborough are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Market Harborough hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 6 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Market Harborough perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Market Harborough, 63% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Market Harborough?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Market Harborough is 20.3:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Market Harborough schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Market Harborough is 10.4%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Market Harborough?

There are 4,398 pupils enrolled across schools in Market Harborough, with 2,035 in primary and 2,363 in secondary. 12.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Market Harborough?

There are 2 independent schools in Market Harborough. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Market Harborough on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in Market Harborough?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 18 schools in Market Harborough by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

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