School Chooser

Northchapel Community Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil53 pupilsPetworthWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
30
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 72, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 38% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, July 2023
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance95.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
Places52 spare53 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher17.0School workforce census

Northchapel Community Primary School is a council school in Petworth for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 53 pupils and room for 105. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 30 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 38% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Pipers Lane, Northchapel, Petworth, GU28 9JA01428 707352northchapel.w-sussex.sch.ukMs Deborah Coggin headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 July 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
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
15 February 2022UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

12 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 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 38%38%20172018: 40%40%20182019: 57%57%20192023: 71%71%20232024: 25%25%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +29%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017West SussexEngland
Pupils tested128714108
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%25%71%57%40%38%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%10%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0107.0107.0105.0104.0104.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0100.0103.0104.0105.0101.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0106.0108.0104.0102.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%75%86%86%70%63%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%25%71%79%80%50%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%75%71%57%60%38%
Reading progressReading progress score+5.0+1.9-0.1-4.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.5-0.1+2.1-7.0

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.

Plenty of spare places58 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
55% full

47 places were empty (45% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 16% since 2021/22.

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 (10 offers for 15 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary15810all offeredLA
2024 Primary1588all offeredLA
2023 Primary151414all 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 roll53Census January 2026
Places10550% full
Pupils from low-income families17%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.73 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)10%£7,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls21 / 32
White British pupils91%

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

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll535456484755
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals17%15%16%19%15%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%2%0%2%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%16%15%13%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.8%4.2%6.2%6.2%2.4%3.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.7%5.5%5.4%1.9%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%0.5%0.7%0.8%0.5%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.6%14.3%19.5%19.2%4.0%6.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers3.1full-time equivalent, 4 people
Pupils per teacher17.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants1.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,321
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher27.02021/22

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£13,126England £7,738. Total £709k
Income per pupil£13,320England £7,697. Total £719k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,985England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£12k, -£214 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£10kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£13,126spent 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 m1512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate38 per 1,000 people59% lower than the England average
Typical house price£425,000Chichester
Nearest bus stop120 mHalf Moon, 2 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
Plaistow and Kirdford Primary SchoolCouncil3.4 miles195No overall grade 202520Compare
Fernhurst Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles121No overall grade 202553Compare
Grayswood Church of England (Aided) Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles202Good 202494Compare
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.9 miles198Not inspected62Compare
St Bartholomew's CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England4.0 miles396Report card 202655Compare
Camelsdale Primary SchoolCouncil4.5 miles215Good 202481Compare
Shottermill Infant SchoolCouncil4.6 miles149Good 202372Compare
Shottermill Junior SchoolCouncil4.7 miles251Not inspected75Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Northchapel Community 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.

Beats38%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 30 is 16 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 46 · highest 87100

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 Northchapel Community 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
Scott-Broadwood CofE Infant SchoolAcademy15.5 miles55Report card 202674Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 30 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 30% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 72. 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%below
-0.11
2025 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.10
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.05
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 52 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 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 Northchapel Community Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Northchapel Community Primary School scores 30 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 38% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 72, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Northchapel Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Northchapel Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 11 July 2023.

How good are Northchapel Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Northchapel Community Primary School have?

53 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 50% full.

Is Northchapel Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 47 places were empty in 2024/25 (45% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Northchapel Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Northchapel Community Primary School?

The average class had 17.7 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
Pipers Lane, Northchapel, Petworth, GU28 9JA
Telephone
01428 707352
Website
www.northchapel.w-sussex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms Deborah Coggin
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
Loxwood
Constituency
Arundel and South Downs
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
125846 · LAESTAB 9382048 · UKPRN 10073868

Where these figures come from