Chichester Free School

Chichester Free School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in several domains, with 'Outstanding' status in personal development. The school benefits from strong leadership and a supportive learning environment that fosters respectful behavior and inclusivity among pupils. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, offering numerous opportunities for pupils to develop their talents through various clubs and activities. Parents and students express high satisfaction with the educational experience, highlighting the school's caring ethos and recognition of student achievements.

Strengths

• Strong leadership throughout the school
• Inclusive environment that respects differences
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with clear objectives
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• High level of parental and pupil satisfaction
• Outstanding provisions for personal development
• Strong pastoral care and mental health support

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum implementation in some subjects
• Variability in staff's effectiveness in using phonics training

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 Chichester Free School attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 4.3% of pupils at Chichester Free School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Chichester Free School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.0% of pupils at Chichester Free School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Chichester Free School received £6,649 and spent £6,744 for each of its 1,079 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £207,000 (£192 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Sussex Learning Trust, income was £7,040 and spending £7,119 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Chichester · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

Chichester Free School is part of Sussex Learning Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Billingshurst Primary Academy Billingshurst
• The Burgess Hill Academy Burgess Hill
• Warden Park Secondary Academy Haywards Heath
• Woodgate Primary Academy Crawley
• Warden Park Primary Academy Haywards Heath
• Northlands Wood Primary Academy Haywards Heath

What is Chichester Free School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chichester Free School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Chichester Free School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chichester Free School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Chichester Free School have?

Chichester Free School has 1,118 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chichester Free School cover?

Chichester Free School for pupils aged 4 to 19.

What are Chichester Free School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.5, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Chichester Free School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chichester Free School?

Chichester Free School is at Hunston Road, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 1NP.