School Chooser

Buckingham Park Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil442 pupilsShoreham-by-SeaWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
64
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 46 to 78, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2023
Reached the expected level at 1162%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places168 spare442 pupils, 610 places
Pupils per teacher20.9School workforce census

Buckingham Park Primary School is a council school in Shoreham-by-Sea for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 442 pupils and room for 610. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 64 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Buckingham Road, Buckingham Park Primary, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5UD01273 453515buckinghamparkschool.co.ukMrs Kim Brown headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 18 May 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

77 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1162%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 63%63%20172018: 62%62%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 68%68%20232024: 70%70%20242025: 62%62%2025
Since 2017: -1%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017West SussexEngland
Pupils tested778076855570
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths62%70%68%67%62%63%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%8%4%6%9%4%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0107.0106.0103.0106.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0105.0106.0106.0103.0104.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0104.0108.0104.0107.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%81%79%82%71%74%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard73%79%76%87%75%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%76%78%78%84%70%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.9+2.4-1.9-1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.9+1.8-1.3-2.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged43%50%65%30%50%46%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%77%69%78%65%73%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
43%67%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
73%55%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places476 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
76% full

154 places were empty (24% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 13% 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 (48 offers for 60 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary604848all offeredLA
2024 Primary604242all offeredLA
2023 Primary906161all 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 roll442Census January 2026
Places61072% full
Pupils from low-income families15%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%43 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%19 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.017 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils12%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£103,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls214 / 228
White British pupils84%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (7), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Specific learning difficulty (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll442480525548551552
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%14%15%15%16%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%10%9%8%8%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%12%15%13%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%4.7%5.6%5.9%2.6%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.6%4.4%4.9%2.2%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%1.1%1.2%1.1%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.4%10.7%13.7%17.1%4.5%8.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.41.92.60.50.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers21.1full-time equivalent, 26 people
Pupils per teacher20.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants17.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,418
Teachers who left in the year9%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.02024/25

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£6,300England £7,738. Total £3.0m
Income per pupil£6,500England £7,697. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,300England £3,480
Money in reserve8%A healthy amount put by: £249k, £518 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£96kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,300spent 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 m13412 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate30 per 1,000 people67% lower than the England average
Typical house price£375,000Adur
Nearest bus stop20 mNicolson Drive, 8 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
St Nicolas & St Mary CofE Primary SchoolAcademy370 m381Not inspected72Compare
St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy520 m201Report card 202686Compare
Swiss Gardens Primary SchoolCouncil680 m343Good 202330Compare
Shoreham Beach Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles209Not inspected50Compare
Holmbush Primary AcademyAcademy1.1 miles222Good 202345Compare
Glebe Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles453Good 20234Compare
Eastbrook Primary AcademyAcademy1.8 miles364No overall grade 202555Compare
Seaside Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles620No overall grade 202585Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Buckingham Park Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats71%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 64 is 15 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 49 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 64 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 64% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 46 to 78. 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 years25%in line
+0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 77 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 77 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 449 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 77 pupils
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 Buckingham Park Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Buckingham Park Primary School scores 64 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 71% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 46 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Buckingham Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Buckingham Park Primary School good at its last full inspection on 18 May 2023.

How good are Buckingham Park Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 62% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Buckingham Park Primary School have?

442 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 610 places, so it is 72% full.

Is Buckingham Park Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 154 places were empty in 2024/25 (24% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Buckingham Park Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Buckingham Park Primary School?

The average class had 26.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 12% of classes 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
Buckingham Road, Buckingham Park Primary, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5UD
Telephone
01273 453515
Website
www.buckinghamparkschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Kim Brown
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
St Nicolas
Constituency
East Worthing and Shoreham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2008 (result of amalgamation)
URN
134791 · LAESTAB 9383370 · UKPRN 10074125
Formerly
Buckingham Community Middle School, Kingston Buci First School

Where these figures come from