Swiss Gardens Primary School

Swiss Gardens Primary School demonstrates a good level of overall effectiveness, marked by an outstanding performance in behaviour and attitudes. The school fosters a strong sense of community among pupils, staff, and parents, with an environment where pupils feel safe and valued. Staff members have high expectations, and as a result, pupils show proactive engagement in their learning. However, the inspection revealed areas for improvement, particularly in establishing the necessary steps of knowledge in the foundation subjects, which occasionally leads to less precise learning activities and assessments.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community among pupils, staff, and parents
• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes of pupils
• Highly inclusive environment with effective support for SEND pupils
• Engaged and enthusiastic learners eager to participate in lessons
• Effective teaching of early reading and mathematics
• Broad range of extracurricular opportunities available to pupils
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils promoting a supportive atmosphere

Areas for Improvement

• Foundation curriculum lacks precision in identifying small steps of knowledge
• Assessment practices in foundation subjects are not as precise as in reading and mathematics

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 Swiss Gardens Primary School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.6% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Swiss Gardens Primary School 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 Swiss Gardens Primary School had 24.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Swiss Gardens Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 Swiss Gardens Primary School received £6,528 and spent £6,357 for each of its 343 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £88,000 (-£257 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 Shoreham-By-Sea · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Swiss Gardens Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Swiss Gardens Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Swiss Gardens Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Swiss Gardens Primary School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Swiss Gardens Primary School have?

Swiss Gardens Primary School has 343 pupils on roll.

What age range does Swiss Gardens Primary School cover?

Swiss Gardens Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Swiss Gardens Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Swiss Gardens Primary School?

Swiss Gardens Primary School is at Swiss Gardens, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5WH.