The March CofE Primary School

The March CofE Primary School, recently inspected for the first time, demonstrates overall good performance with outstanding personal development. The school has established a strong culture of reading and offers a well-planned enrichment curriculum, fostering pupils' achievements and a sense of community. Despite high expectations, there are concerns around the sequencing of the curriculum in some subjects and inconsistent management of pupil behavior, which affects the overall environment for some students. Leaders are ambitious and well-supported by the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, reflecting a commitment to continuous improvement.

Strengths

• Exceptional personal development programme.
• Strong culture of reading with enthusiastic pupils.
• Well-planned enrichment curriculum providing various opportunities.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs.
• High expectations and ambitions for all pupils.
• Calm and welcoming environment promoting safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent behavior management leading to unresolved unkindness.
• Curriculum sequencing lacking in some subjects.

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 The March CofE Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.4% 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, 1.0% of pupils at The March CofE 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 The March CofE Primary School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 15.9% of pupils at The March CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 The March CofE Primary School received £6,383 and spent £6,423 for each of its 202 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £61,000 (£301 per pupil).

Across all 28 schools of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, income was £7,049 and spending £7,093 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

The March CofE Primary School is part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• St. Joseph's Infant School Chichester
• St. Joseph's CofE Junior School Chichester
• Heene CofE Primary School Worthing
• St Columba CE Primary School Fareham
• St Nicolas & St Mary CofE Primary School Shoreham-By-Sea
• St Blasius Shanklin CofE Primary Academy Shanklin
• Lanesend Primary School Cowes
• St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy Ventnor
• St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Crawley
• Newick Church of England Primary School Lewes

What is The March CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The March CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was The March CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The March CofE Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does The March CofE Primary School have?

The March CofE Primary School has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does The March CofE Primary School cover?

The March CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The March CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The March CofE Primary School?

The March CofE Primary School is at Claypit Lane, Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NU.