School Chooser

Kilnwood Vale Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedFree school382 pupilsNurseryHorshamWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
14
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 32, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
#13,775 of 16,041 in England#178 in West SussexHow it is worked out
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, December 2023
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Pupils per teacher23.1School workforce census
Pupils on roll382Census January 2026

Kilnwood Vale Primary School is a free school in Horsham for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 382 pupils. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 14 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Calvert Link, Faygate, Horsham, RH12 0BZ01403 288263kilnwoodvaleschool.orgMiss Jessica Cushman headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 December 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places268 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
64% full

152 places were empty (36% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 163% since 2021/22.

How places were given out for September 2025.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary606360–LA
2024 Primary605959– all offeredLA
2023 Primary607560–LA

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 roll382Census January 2026
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English19%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%47 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%8 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.314 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)10%£49,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls182 / 200
White British pupils50%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (14), language and communications needs (14), Other difficulty or disability (13), emotional and mental health (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll38234928418813895
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%8%10%11%15%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language19%19%18%19%22%22%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support–14%13%12%13%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans–1%1%1%2%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school15.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%6.8%6.6%6.9%1.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.9%4.5%4.9%5.9%1.4%–
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%2.3%1.7%1.0%0.4%–
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence15.9%17.6%18.5%19.1%0.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.45.35.30.00.0–
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000–

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.8full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher23.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,761
Teachers who left in the year27%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.02024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,218England £7,128. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£6,529England £7,587. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,021England £3,405
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £282k, £851 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£103kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,218spent 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 m18912 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate64 per 1,000 people30% lower than the England average
Typical house price£437,160Horsham
Nearest bus stop30 mKilnwood Vale 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
The Bewbush AcademyAcademy0.7 miles459No overall grade 202539Compare
Waterfield Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles404Report card 202629Compare
Gossops Green PrimaryAcademy1.2 miles582Good 201927Compare
Seymour Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles455Not inspected85Compare
Colgate Primary SchoolCouncil1.4 miles126Good 202328Compare
The Mill Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles531Report card 202657Compare
Broadfield Primary AcademyAcademy1.7 miles502Not inspected74Compare
Hilltop Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles658Good 202476Compare
Primary schools in West SussexPrimary schools in HorshamBest primary schools in England

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Kilnwood Vale 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.

Beats4%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 14 is 69 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 10 · middle 83 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Kilnwood Vale Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Greenway Junior SchoolAcademy4.9 miles307Good 202452Compare
Westvale Park Primary AcademyFree school6.3 miles383Good 202385Compare
Halsford Park Primary SchoolAcademy9.4 miles398Good 202281Compare
St Paul's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy9.6 miles397Good 202461Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 14 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 14% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 32. 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, 2.8 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
–
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.48
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.10
2024/25; 220 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 Kilnwood Vale Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Kilnwood Vale Primary School scores 14 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 32, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Kilnwood Vale Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Kilnwood Vale Primary School good at its last full inspection on 5 December 2023.

How many pupils does Kilnwood Vale Primary School have?

382 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026.

Is Kilnwood Vale Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 152 places were empty in 2024/25 (36% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Kilnwood Vale Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Kilnwood Vale Primary School?

The average class had 27.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% 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
Calvert Link, Faygate, Horsham, RH12 0BZ
Telephone
01403 288263
Website
www.kilnwoodvaleschool.org
Headteacher
Miss Jessica Cushman
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
GLF Schools (43 schools)
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
Colgate & Rusper
Constituency
Horsham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
2 September 2019 (new provision)
URN
147193 · LAESTAB 9382056 · UKPRN 10083758
Official recordOfsted reportsGovernment performance tablesDownload this school's data (CSV)

Where these figures come from