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St Paul's CofE Primary School

Primary Ages 4-11 151 pupils Brighton
Ofsted: Expected standard
All schools in Brighton

St Paul's CofE Primary School is a voluntary aided school in Brighton for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 151 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Paul's CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026. In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. It has more teachers for its size than most primary schools: 14.7 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.

Ofsted inspection: May 2026. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Voluntary aided school
Age Range 4-11
Religion Church of England
Address St Nicholas Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 3LP
Phone 01273721001
Reference Number 114543

General Makeup

Number of pupils 151
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 52.32%
Girls: 47.68%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 31.8%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 33.8%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.6
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 20
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 22.8

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 16 3 19
2 13 6 19
3 7 9 16
4 11 11 22
5 11 19 30
6 11 12 23

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 44.4%
White, Other 19.2%
African 6%
White & Asian 4.6%
Asian, Other 4.6%
White & Black (African) 4%
Mixed, Other 4%
White & Black (Caribbean) 2.6%
Chinese 2.6%
Indian 2.6%
Unclassified 1.3%
Irish 0.7%
Caribbean 0.7%

St Paul's CofE Primary School is performing well overall, with strong standards in various areas, including early years education and personal development. The school has established an ambitious curriculum that supports sustained engagement and purposeful learning, resulting in pupils achieving above national averages in several key areas. Leaders have prioritized inclusion and provide effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, facilitating strong progress and high-quality work across the curriculum. The nurturing and inclusive environment has fostered positive relationships among pupils and staff, enhancing their overall educational experience. Despite these strengths, persistent absence is a concern, particularly among disadvantaged pupils, and while leaders are aware of this issue and taking steps to improve it, further strategic action is necessary to reduce the gap. Overall, the school demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring that all pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Overall Ofsted Rating Expected standard
 >  Leadership & Governance Expected standard
 >  Personal Development & Wellbeing Strong standard
 >  Achievement Expected standard
 >  Attendance & Behaviour Expected standard
 >  Curriculum & Teaching Expected standard
 >  Inclusion Expected standard
 >  Early Years Strong standard
Last Report Date 14 Apr 2026
Date Report
14 Apr 2026 School inspection
13 Mar 2023 School inspection
01 Nov 2017 Short inspection
09 Jul 2013 Full inspection
07 Oct 2009 Full inspection
11 Oct 2006 Full inspection
14 Jan 2002 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Strong early years curriculum with high-quality opportunities for children.
  • Effective personal development and wellbeing programme promoting inclusion.
  • High-quality relationships between staff and pupils.
  • Strong progress for disadvantaged pupils with effective targeted support.
  • Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across subjects.
  • Consistent high-quality teaching and pastoral support.

Areas for Improvement

  • Persistent absence remains higher for disadvantaged pupils.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 76%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 10%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 108
Maths 109

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 4.7
Writing 2.2
Maths 6.7

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 5 0
Third Preference 6 0
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St Paul's CofE Primary School had 169 pupils for 210 places. 41 places (19.5%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “CENTRAL CITY Primary” planning area

Brighton and Hove counted 444 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 365 in 2029–30, down 18%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 210210210210210210210210210210210210210210210
Pupils 210209208205205206208204199200201187180173169
Unfilled 0.0%0.5%1.0%2.4%2.4%1.9%1.0%2.9%5.2%4.8%4.3%11.0%14.3%17.6%19.5%

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Paul's CofE Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 2.4%3.1%2.5%2.4%3.1%3.2%2.7%6.0%4.1%4.3%4.8%
Unauthorised absence 0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.3%0.3%0.9%0.8%0.9%1.1%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.0%0.5%0.0%0.0%1.1%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at St Paul's CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.00.91.30.90.00.00.00.50.00.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000000

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Paul's CofE Primary School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 12.212.812.811.811.611.910.710.69.910.110.37.89.110.010.39.2
Teachers who left state teaching 0.0%0.0%5.8%0.0%10.7%0.0%13.5%3.1%0.0%0.0%8.1%19.0%0.0%9.3%0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 53.8%41.7%58.3%42.9%75.0%71.4%70.6%66.7%64.3%–62.5%73.3%61.5%90.9%41.7%–
Sick days per teacher 6.33.56.81.93.26.64.41.93.6–4.45.74.01.51.9–

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.9% of pupils at St Paul's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Autistic spectrum disorder 3 6
Speech, language and communication needs 7 0
Social, emotional and mental health 3 0
Specific learning difficulty 3 0
Moderate learning difficulty 2 0
Hearing impairment 0 1
Vision impairment 0 1

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Paul's CofE Primary School received £8,688 and spent £8,786 for each of its 151 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £11,000 (£76 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £21,000£10,000£32,000£49,000£89,000£42,000£26,000£11,000
per pupil £103£47£154£268£498£239£150£76
In-year balance £14,000-£11,000£22,000£18,000£40,000-£47,000-£16,000-£15,000
per pupil £70-£52£106£97£221-£267-£91-£98

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

Name Distance
St Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School
Spring Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3EF
0.22 miles
Middle Street Primary School
37 Middle Street, Middle Street Primary School, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AL
0.33 miles
Carlton Hill Primary School
Sussex Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9HS
0.54 miles
Tarnerland Nursery School
Sussex Street, Brighton, BN2 0GR
0.61 miles
Brunswick Primary School
Somerhill Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 1RP
0.68 miles
Royal Spa Nursery School
Park Hill, Brighton, BN2 0BT
0.76 miles
Queen's Park Primary School
Park Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 0BN
0.81 miles
Windlesham School
190 Dyke Road, Brighton, E Sussex, BN1 5AA
0.82 miles
Stanford Primary School
Highcroft Villas, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5PS
0.9 miles
Downs Infant School
Ditchling Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6JA
0.96 miles
St Luke's Primary School
Queens Park Rise, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 9ZF
1.01 miles
Downs Junior School
Rugby Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6ED
1.02 miles
Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School
The Upper Drive, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6NB
1.05 miles
Fairlight Primary School
St Leonard's Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 3AJ
1.05 miles
Elm Grove Primary School
Elm Grove, Elm Grove Primary School, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 3ES
1.08 miles
Brighton College Prep School
Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5JJ
1.09 miles
St Martin's CofE Primary School
Hartington Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 3LJ
1.11 miles
St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School
Whitehawk Hill Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 0AH
1.27 miles
Lancing College Preparatory School At Hove
The Droveway, Hove, BN3 6LU
1.27 miles
St Andrew's CofE (Aided) Primary School
Belfast Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3YT
1.35 miles
Name Distance
Brighton Girls GDST
0.37 miles
Kings Brighton
27-33 Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 4SB
0.52 miles
Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College
205 Dyke Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6EG
0.64 miles
The Montessori Place
45 Cromwell Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3ER
0.95 miles
Cardinal Newman Catholic School
The Upper Drive, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6ND
0.96 miles
Brighton College
Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 0AL
1.04 miles
Hamilton Lodge School and College for Deaf Children
Walpole Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 0LS
1.14 miles
Brighton and Hove Clinic School
14-18 New Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 4FH
1.58 miles
Dorothy Stringer School
Loder Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6PZ
1.59 miles
Varndean School
Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP
1.72 miles
Varndean College
Surrenden Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6WQ
1.78 miles
Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre
Nevill Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 7BN
1.85 miles
The Lioncare School
87 Payne Avenue, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 5HD
2.03 miles
Blatchington Mill School
Nevill Avenue, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 7BW
2.09 miles
Patcham High School
Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8PB
2.52 miles
Roedean School
Roedean Way, Brighton, BN2 5RQ
2.72 miles
King's School
Hangleton Way, Hove, BN3 8BN
2.84 miles
Downs View Special School
Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 6BB
2.92 miles
Oxford International College, Brighton
Ovingdean Hall, Ovingdean, Greenways, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 7BA
3.07 miles
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Lewes Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9PW
3.11 miles

All schools in Brighton · Brighton and Hove local authority: places and applications

What is St Paul's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Paul's CofE Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was St Paul's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Paul's CofE Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does St Paul's CofE Primary School have?

St Paul's CofE Primary School has 151 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Paul's CofE Primary School cover?

St Paul's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Paul's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Paul's CofE Primary School?

St Paul's CofE Primary School is at St Nicholas Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3LP.

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