Durrington Junior School

Durrington Junior School is a larger-than-average junior school serving a community with above-average levels of SEND, including a specially resourced provision, The Beach. The school has moved to a single-headteacher leadership structure since its last inspection. Inspectors found it meeting expectations in all evaluated areas, with safeguarding arrangements met. Pupils achieve well overall, especially in English and mathematics, and outcomes have improved over time; disadvantaged pupils are supported well and their attendance has improved, though the disadvantage gap remains in some measures. Behaviour is excellent and pupils are kind, respectful and proud of their school, with a calm and orderly environment. Attendance is in line with national averages and improving. The curriculum is ambitious and well matched to pupils' needs, teaching is generally strong, and inclusion work is precise, including effective support in the specialist resourced provision. Leadership and governance are strong, staff feel well supported, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. There are still areas to refine. In a small number of subjects achievement is less positive, and pupils' handwriting, spelling and recall of key number facts vary. Occasionally, task design does not give pupils the best opportunity to apply learning, and some adaptations are less precisely matched to pupils' needs. Personal development is strong overall but less detailed in some concepts, such as democracy. Leaders have begun to address these issues, and the next steps focus on maximising learning for all pupils and embedding strategies for mathematical fluency, handwriting and spelling.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well in national tests, with outcomes improving over time.
• Pupils with barriers to learning typically make clear progress from their starting points.
• Behaviour is excellent, and pupils are kind, respectful and caring.
• Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and a calm, purposeful atmosphere.
• Attendance is in line with national averages and improving, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• The curriculum is increasingly ambitious and closely matched to pupils' needs.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and check pupils' understanding skilfully.
• The reading programme is well designed and supports early readers effectively.
• Inclusion work identifies needs swiftly and provides well-designed additional provision.
• The specialist resourced provision, The Beach, provides skilled support that helps pupils engage in mainstream lessons.
• Leaders know the school well and provide well-designed staff training.
• Governors have detailed oversight and offer appropriate challenge.
• Personal development is prioritised through cultural trips, clubs, leadership roles and pastoral support.
• Parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement in a small number of subjects is less positive.
• Pupils' handwriting, spelling and recall of key number facts are varied.
• Teachers occasionally do not design tasks that help pupils apply learning as effectively as possible.
• Adaptations to learning are occasionally less precisely matched to pupils' needs.
• Support for pupils with additional needs is at times less precisely matched, limiting impact.
• Personal development is less detailed in some concepts, such as democracy.
• Leaders should continue to establish and embed strategies to improve mathematical fluency, handwriting and spelling.
• Leaders should ensure activities help all pupils, including those with additional barriers, maximise learning opportunities.

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 Durrington Junior School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Durrington Junior 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 Durrington Junior School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 21.9% of pupils at Durrington Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 Durrington Junior School received £7,193 and spent £6,754 for each of its 334 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £463,000 (£1,387 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 Durrington Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Durrington Junior School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Durrington Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Durrington Junior School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Durrington Junior School have?

Durrington Junior School has 334 pupils on roll.

What age range does Durrington Junior School cover?

Durrington Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Durrington Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Durrington Junior School?

Durrington Junior School is at Salvington Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 2JD.