Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing

Elm Grove Primary School in Worthing is performing well overall, with a consistent 'Good' evaluation across all inspected areas. The school is described as nurturing and supportive, offering a family-like atmosphere where pupils feel cared for and valued. This environment fosters enthusiasm for learning, with pupils demonstrating high levels of engagement and achievement. The effective curriculum in core subjects like English and mathematics ensures that pupils are well-prepared for future academic challenges. However, some areas of the curriculum are still developing, and staff are working to enhance their subject expertise further to ensure all pupils benefit equally from the education provided.

Strengths

• Nurturing school environment where every child feels valued.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and well-being.
• Effective strategies in place for supporting pupils with additional needs.
• High expectations for behaviour leading to a calm learning atmosphere.
• Well-structured approach to early reading with effective phonics teaching.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers lack the subject expertise to teach newer curriculum areas effectively.
• Assessment practices in certain subjects need improvement to better identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.

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 Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 0.5% of pupils at Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 15.3% of pupils at Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing received £7,232 and spent £6,968 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £199,000 (£979 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

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

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Worthing · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing last inspected by Ofsted?

Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing have?

Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing cover?

Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing?

Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing is at Elm Grove, Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 5LQ.