Thomas A Becket Infant School

Thomas A Becket Infant School continues to demonstrate effective action in maintaining high standards since its last inspection. The school is celebrated for its nurturing environment where children thrive and are supported by caring staff, contributing to their confidence and independence. The curriculum is well-structured, emphasizing reading and providing support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Parents express satisfaction with the strong community bonds and how well their children are known and cared for within the school.

Strengths

• Strong community atmosphere where pupils are known well.
• Effective curriculum that builds knowledge and skills progressively.
• Excellent support for pupils with SEND.
• High prioritization of reading and well-structured phonics instruction.
• Well-managed relationships policy that fosters a respectful environment.
• Opportunities for wider personal development through roles like eco-council.

Areas for Improvement

• Subject-specific vocabulary development is not yet embedded.

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 Thomas A Becket Infant School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Thomas A Becket Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Thomas A Becket Infant School had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Thomas A Becket Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Thomas A Becket Infant School received £6,466 and spent £6,630 for each of its 473 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £114,000 (£240 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 Thomas A Becket Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Thomas A Becket Infant School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Thomas A Becket Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Thomas A Becket Infant School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Thomas A Becket Infant School have?

Thomas A Becket Infant School has 473 pupils on roll.

What age range does Thomas A Becket Infant School cover?

Thomas A Becket Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Thomas A Becket Infant School?

Thomas A Becket Infant School is at Pelham Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 1JB.