School Chooser

Amberley CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England45 pupilsArundelWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
23
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 52, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Attendance93.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families29%About the same as most schools in England
Places25 spare45 pupils, 70 places
Pupils per teacher12.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll45Census January 2026

Amberley CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Arundel for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 45 pupils and room for 70. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

School Road, Amberley, Arundel, BN18 9NB01798 831612amberleyschool.comMrs Elizabeth Martin headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 15 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
0
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
4 May 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

5 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2023
2018: 43%43%20182019: 50%50%20192023: 50%50%2023
Since 2018: +7%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018West SussexEngland
Pupils tested556814
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths50%50%43%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths17%0%7%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0105.0105.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.099.0101.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0103.0103.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%63%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%50%64%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%75%64%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.3+0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.1-2.5

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places45 pupils for 70 places, 2024/25
64% full

25 places were empty (36% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 17% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2025 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2025. Every child who applied got a place (4 offers for 10 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary1044all offeredLA
2024 Primary1022all offeredLA
2023 Primary1088all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll45Census January 2026
Places7064% full
Pupils from low-income families29%29% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support27%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size17.52 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£18,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls22 / 23
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (5), language and communications needs (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll454551535752
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%27%22%21%14%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%4%4%4%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%14%13%21%23%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%4%4%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%5.6%3.9%6.8%3.6%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.4%3.4%5.4%2.9%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%1.2%0.5%1.4%0.7%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.4%13.3%5.9%29.4%7.1%10.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.03.90.01.80.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers3.7full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher12.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,115
Teachers who left in the year22%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.62024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£11,843England £7,738. Total £533k
Income per pupil£11,777England £7,697. Total £530k
Spent on teachers per pupil£5,827England £3,480
Money in reserve3%Not much put by: £18k, £401 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£2,962it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£11,843spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people34% lower than the England average
Typical house price£437,160Horsham
Nearest bus stop80 mPrimary School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Bury CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles87Good 202434Compare
St James' CofE Primary School, ColdwalthamChurch of England2.3 miles44No overall grade 20253Compare
Storrington Primary SchoolCouncil3.4 miles361Good 202428Compare
St Philip's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles209Good 2021Compare
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles295Good 202212Compare
Fittleworth CofE Village SchoolChurch of England4.0 miles124No overall grade 202513Compare
Arundel CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.2 miles213Good 202493Compare
Thakeham Primary SchoolCouncil4.4 miles104Good 202459Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Amberley CofE Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats52%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 23 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 23 · highest 91100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 52. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.22
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.16
2024/25; 46 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Amberley CofE Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Amberley CofE Primary School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 52% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 52, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Amberley CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Amberley CofE Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 15 October 2024.

How many pupils does Amberley CofE Primary School have?

45 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 70 places, so it is 64% full.

Is Amberley CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 25 places were empty in 2024/25 (36% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Amberley CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Amberley CofE Primary School?

The average class had 17.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
School Road, Amberley, Arundel, BN18 9NB
Telephone
01798 831612
Website
www.amberleyschool.com
Headteacher
Mrs Elizabeth Martin
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chichester
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
Pulborough, Coldwaltham & Amberley
Constituency
Arundel and South Downs
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
125970 · LAESTAB 9383000 · UKPRN 10076277

Where these figures come from