Holmbush Primary Academy

Holmbush Primary Academy is a good school that continues to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for its pupils. The school has high aspirations for its students, who demonstrate polite and respectful behavior. There are strong efforts in place to support the emotional well-being of pupils, contributing to a positive community atmosphere. However, while behavior and attitude towards learning are commendable, external test results, especially in writing at the end of Year 6, indicate areas for improvement. The school is actively focusing on enhancing writing outcomes to meet national expectations better.

Strengths

• Pupils show respect, kindness, and pride in their school community.
• There is effective support for pupils' emotional well-being.
• High attendance rates exceeding national averages.
• Strong leadership with a shared vision for inclusivity.
• Well-planned curriculum with clear progression and ambition.
• Effective reading instruction with targeted phonics support.
• Impressive support for pupils with SEND.
• Opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles.

Areas for Improvement

• External test results in writing are below national expectations.
• Inconsistency in lesson activities affecting learning outcomes.

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 Holmbush Primary Academy attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Holmbush Primary Academy 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 Holmbush Primary Academy had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.4% 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, 18.0% of pupils at Holmbush Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 2024–25 Holmbush Primary Academy received £6,998 and spent £7,514 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £5,000 (£23 per pupil).

Across all 65 schools of Reach2 Academy Trust, income was £7,346 and spending £7,105 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 Shoreham-By-Sea · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

Holmbush Primary Academy is part of Reach2 Academy Trust, which runs 65 schools. The nearest others:

• Eastbrook Primary Academy Brighton
• The Globe Primary Academy Lancing
• White Meadows Primary Academy Littlehampton
• Desmond Anderson Primary Academy Crawley
• Pound Hill Infant Academy Crawley
• Aerodrome Primary Academy Croydon
• Robert Fitzroy Academy Croydon
• St Mark's Church of England Primary Academy London
• Tidemill Academy London
• Brampton Primary Academy Bexleyheath

What is Holmbush Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Holmbush Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Holmbush Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Holmbush Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Holmbush Primary Academy have?

Holmbush Primary Academy has 222 pupils on roll.

What age range does Holmbush Primary Academy cover?

Holmbush Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Holmbush Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Holmbush Primary Academy?

Holmbush Primary Academy is at Hawkins Crescent, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6TN.