Carden Nursery and Primary School

Carden Nursery and Primary School demonstrates a robust performance overall, with leadership exhibiting a clear focus on students' well-being and achievement. The school has made notable strides in personal development, fostering a strong culture of respect and inclusivity among its pupils. However, areas of concern remain, particularly in mathematics performance, which has been flagged for urgent improvement as outcomes indicate a need for more consistent teaching strategies. The school environment is viewed positively by both students and parents, emphasizing a community where everyone feels valued and safe.

Strengths

• Strong culture of respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Highly effective pastoral support system.
• Strong personal development program that prepares pupils for future responsibilities.
• Impressive progress in reading and writing by the end of key stage 2.
• Effective phonics teaching contributing to fluent reading.

Areas for Improvement

• Mathematics teaching quality is not yet consistently secure.
• Low outcomes in Year 6 national tests for 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 Carden Nursery and Primary School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.7% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Carden Nursery and 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 Carden Nursery and Primary School had 28.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.3% 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, 16.4% of pupils at Carden Nursery and Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 21 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 Carden Nursery and Primary School received £8,296 and spent £8,354 for each of its 359 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £17,000 (£47 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).

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• Secondary Schools

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What is Carden Nursery and Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Carden Nursery and Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Carden Nursery and Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Carden Nursery and Primary School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Carden Nursery and Primary School have?

Carden Nursery and Primary School has 359 pupils on roll.

What age range does Carden Nursery and Primary School cover?

Carden Nursery and Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Carden Nursery and Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Carden Nursery and Primary School?

Carden Nursery and Primary School is at County Oak Avenue, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8LU.