Albourne Church of England Primary School

Albourne Church of England Primary School is a friendly, inclusive primary where pupils enjoy school and typically achieve well. This was its first routine section 5 inspection; it converted to academy status in 2022 and is part of Hurst Education Trust. Inspectors found strong provision across the school, including an ambitious curriculum, effective early years provision, and swift, effective support for pupils with SEND. Reading is a particular strength, and pupils’ behaviour, manners and attitudes are exceptionally positive. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils benefit from strong relationships with staff, a broad range of trips and clubs, and opportunities for pupil leadership. The school has high expectations, and children in Reception follow an ambitious curriculum. Governors and trustees provide support and challenge, and staff feel well supported in their development and workload. The main area for improvement is assessment in a small number of foundation subjects. Checks on what pupils know and can do are not securely developed across the curriculum, so some pupils do not consistently learn and remember key content over time in a few recently developed subjects. Leaders need to ensure knowledge is methodically checked before new content is taught.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum with carefully defined knowledge and sequencing
• Reading is a strength, with strong early phonics and effective support for weaker readers
• Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and effectively supported
• Pupils behave well and show impeccable manners and positive attitudes
• Strong personal development, including appreciation of equity and diversity
• Ambitious early years provision that builds strong foundations
• Inclusive practice ensures pupils with SEND are fully included in school life
• Governors and trustees provide effective support and challenge
• Staff feel well supported in professional development and workload
• Broad range of trips, clubs and pupil leadership opportunities

Areas for Improvement

• Checks on what pupils know and can do are underdeveloped in a small number of foundation subjects
• Some pupils do not consistently learn and remember key content over time in a few recently developed 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 Albourne Church of England Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.0% 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, 2.4% of pupils at Albourne Church of England 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 Albourne Church of England Primary School had 21.5 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, 13.0% of pupils at Albourne Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.2% 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 Albourne Church of England Primary School received £7,018 and spent £6,409 for each of its 166 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £60,000 (£360 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Hurst Education Trust Limited, income was £5,584 and spending £5,780 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 Hassocks · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

Albourne Church of England Primary School is part of Hurst Education Trust Limited, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• St Peter's CofE Primary School Henfield
• Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Ditchling
• Bolnore Village Primary School Haywards Heath
• Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield Haywards Heath
• St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School Haywards Heath
• Blackthorns Community Primary School Haywards Heath
• Lindfield Primary Academy Haywards Heath
• Balcombe Cofe Primary School Haywards Heath
• West Hoathly CofE Primary School Select
• Turners Hill Church of England Primary School Crawley

What is Albourne Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Albourne Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Albourne Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Albourne Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Albourne Church of England Primary School have?

Albourne Church of England Primary School has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does Albourne Church of England Primary School cover?

Albourne Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Albourne Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Albourne Church of England Primary School?

Albourne Church of England Primary School is at The Street, Albourne, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9DH.