Carden Nursery and Primary School
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | County Oak Avenue Brighton East Sussex BN1 8LU |
| Phone | 01273916606 |
| Reference Number | 131789 |
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.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 366 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.09%
Girls: 48.91% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 41% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 13.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 22.9 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 24.2 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 23.4 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 17 | 32 |
| 2 | 28 | 24 | 52 |
| 3 | 21 | 29 | 50 |
| 4 | 39 | 28 | 67 |
| 5 | 28 | 23 | 51 |
| 6 | 22 | 20 | 42 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 69.4% |
| White & Asian | 3.8% |
| White, Other | 3.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 3.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 2.5% |
| Indian | 1.6% |
| Asian, Other | 1.6% |
| African | 1.4% |
| Pakistani | 1.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Needs attention |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Strong standard |
| > Achievement | Needs attention |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 03 Mar 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Mar 2026 | School inspection |
| 29 Sep 2021 | School inspection |
| 24 Nov 2016 | Short inspection |
| 04 Oct 2011 | Full inspection |
| 11 Jun 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 14 Jan 2009 | Full inspection |
| 12 Oct 2005 | Full inspection |
| 22 Jan 2001 | Full inspection |
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.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 50% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 5% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 105 | ||
| Maths | 102 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 2.1 | ||
| Writing | 1.9 | ||
| Maths | 0.4 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 24 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 28 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
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|
Patcham Junior School
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0.64 miles |
|
Coldean Primary School
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0.72 miles |
|
Patcham Infant School
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0.81 miles |
|
Hertford Primary School
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1.15 miles |
|
Balfour Primary School
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1.15 miles |
|
Moulsecoomb Primary School
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1.22 miles |
|
St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
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1.48 miles |
|
Westdene Primary School
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1.5 miles |
|
Downs Junior School
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1.68 miles |
|
Coombe Road Primary School
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1.71 miles |
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Downs Infant School
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1.76 miles |
|
St Martin's CofE Primary School
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1.93 miles |
|
Fairlight Primary School
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1.96 miles |
|
Bevendean Primary School and Nursery
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1.96 miles |
|
Stanford Infant School
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2.01 miles |
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Lancing College Preparatory School At Hove
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2.03 miles |
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Stanford Junior School
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2.07 miles |
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Windlesham School
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2.1 miles |
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2.22 miles |
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Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School
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| Name | Distance |
|
Patcham High School
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0.66 miles |
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Varndean School
Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP |
0.97 miles |
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Varndean College
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1.18 miles |
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Cardinal Newman Catholic School
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2.21 miles |
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Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College
205 Dyke Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6EG |
2.24 miles |
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Kings Brighton
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2.29 miles |
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Drive Preparatory School
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2.5 miles |
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Brighton Girls GDST
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Downs View Special School
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Hamilton Lodge School and College for Deaf Children
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Brighton College
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The Lioncare School
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3.18 miles |
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Brighton and Hove Clinic School
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3.27 miles |
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Plumpton College
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3.9 miles |