River Beach Primary School

River Beach Primary School is a well-led, inclusive primary where pupils achieve well and are cared for. Inspectors found an ambitious and balanced curriculum with clear progression from Nursery to Year 6, strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and reading as a particular strength. Pupils are polite, respectful and enthusiastic learners, and behaviour is calm and orderly. Personal development is also strong through arts and culture, British values and leadership opportunities. Safeguarding is effective.

Strengths

• Ambitious, balanced curriculum with clear knowledge progression from Nursery to Year 6
• Inclusive SEND provision that identifies needs effectively and supports access alongside peers
• Reading is a strength, including a quick phonics start in Reception and effective catch-up
• Pupils are polite, respectful and enthusiastic, with calm and orderly behaviour
• Strong personal development through arts and culture, British values and pupil leadership
• Effective leadership at all levels, with high-quality staff development and strong retention
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Good support for disadvantaged pupils, including improving attendance

Areas for Improvement

• Some early years curriculum aspects are not sharply focused or consistently delivered
• Language development support does not consistently build on what children already know and can do
• Children's concentration skills are not consistently developed
• Early years learning experiences are less consistent than they could be

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 River Beach Primary School attended 93.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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, 1.9% of pupils at River Beach Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 River Beach Primary School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 13.2% of pupils at River Beach Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 4 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 2024–25 River Beach Primary School received £6,781 and spent £6,559 for each of its 664 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £667,000 (£1,004 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Schoolsworks Academy Trust, income was £6,150 and spending £6,134 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 Littlehampton · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

River Beach Primary School is part of Schoolsworks Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Rustington Community Primary School Littlehampton
• Summerlea Community Primary School Littlehampton
• East Preston Junior School Littlehampton
• Hawthorns Primary School Worthing
• Edward Bryant School Bognor Regis
• Whytemead Primary School Worthing
• Downsbrook Primary School Worthing
• Rose Green Junior School Bognor Regis
• Medmerry Primary School Chichester
• Westbourne Primary School Emsworth

What is River Beach Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for River Beach Primary School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was River Beach Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

River Beach Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does River Beach Primary School have?

River Beach Primary School has 665 pupils on roll.

What age range does River Beach Primary School cover?

River Beach Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are River Beach Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is River Beach Primary School?

River Beach Primary School is at York Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6EW.