School Chooser

Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery

Primary · ages 2-11MixedCouncil312 pupilsNurseryBrightonBrighton and Hove
School Chooser Score
29
Below
similar schools
Likely range 15 to 49, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2022
Reached the expected level at 1146%England 63%
Attendance94.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families23%A bit fewer than most schools
Places124 spare312 pupils, 436 places
Pupils per teacher29.1School workforce census

Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery is a council school in Brighton for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 312 pupils and room for 436. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 29 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Chalkland Rise, Woodingdean, Brighton, BN2 6RH01273 303328rudyardkiplingprimary.co.ukMr Euan Hanington headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 5 May 2022 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.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1146%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 71%71%20172018: 65%65%20182019: 72%72%20192023: 71%71%20232024: 69%69%20242025: 46%46%2025
Since 2017: -25%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Brighton and HoveEngland
Pupils tested462648575145
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths46%69%71%72%65%71%58%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%8%0%5%6%7%5%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0110.0108.0105.0105.0106.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0105.0105.0105.0104.0105.0103.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score101.0104.0104.0107.0104.0105.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%96%88%86%73%84%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard61%73%81%89%82%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%77%79%75%73%76%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.2-2.5-2.6-0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.5-2.4-2.5-0.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%38%69%61%42%54%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged50%83%72%79%78%90%

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
38%50%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
52%38%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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 places295 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
70% full

125 places were empty (30% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 780 m away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 780 m from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 36 families put it down as their first choice and 29 of them got in (81%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary3036743081%780 mLA
2024 Primary60367840100%all offeredLA
2023 Primary60407240100%all offeredLA

What a home within 780 m of the school costs

Typical sale price within 780 m of the school£390,000half sold for £330k to £450k
Homes sold137December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-5%a typical home in the district sells for £412,500

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll312Census January 2026
Places43672% full
Pupils from low-income families23%23% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English11%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%71 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%16 pupils with a plan
Average class size18.710 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)26%£110,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls178 / 134
White British pupils78%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 20.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (28), Autistic spectrum disorder (23), emotional and mental health (19), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Specific learning difficulty (5), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll312336325350345344
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals23%25%25%29%30%29%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language11%9%8%10%8%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support32%34%29%27%29%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%5%4%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils10.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%6.4%7.1%6.3%3.6%4.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%5.1%5.7%4.8%2.6%3.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.4%1.4%1.5%1.0%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.1%17.2%20.8%17.1%9.7%14.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate10.71.21.10.00.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.7full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher29.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,960
Teachers who left in the year46%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.92024/25

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£7,137England £7,738. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£6,586England £7,697. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,342England £3,480
Money in reserve-14%In the red: -£301k, -£894 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£185kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,137spent 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 m15412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people48% lower than the England average
Typical house price£412,500Brighton and Hove
Nearest bus stop130 mRudyard Kipling School, 18 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
Woodingdean Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 milesGood 2023Compare
Bevendean Primary School and NurseryCouncil1.7 miles317No overall grade 202462Compare
St Margaret's CofE Primary School, RottingdeanChurch of England1.8 miles172Not inspected48Compare
Our Lady of Lourdes RC SchoolRoman Catholic1.8 miles210Good 202432Compare
Saltdean Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles533Good 202429Compare
City Academy WhitehawkAcademy2.0 miles323Good 202416Compare
St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.2 miles156No overall grade 202512Compare
St John the Baptist Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic2.4 miles193No overall grade 202413Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery 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.

Beats42%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 29 is 14 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 43 · 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 Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery, 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
Eastbrook Primary AcademyAcademy7.2 miles364No overall grade 202555Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 29 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 29% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 15 to 49. 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
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 46 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 46 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.18
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 275 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 46 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 Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery a good school?

The figures are weak. Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery scores 29 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 42% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 15 to 49, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery good at its last full inspection on 5 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 46% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery have?

312 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 436 places, so it is 72% full.

Is Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2025 the last place went to a child living 780 m away. 36 families put it down as their first choice and 29 of them got in. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery?

Pupils were in school 94.3% 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 Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery?

The average class had 18.7 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
Chalkland Rise, Woodingdean, Brighton, BN2 6RH
Telephone
01273 303328
Website
www.rudyardkiplingprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Euan Hanington
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Brighton and Hove
Ward
Woodingdean
Constituency
Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114486 · LAESTAB 8462164 · UKPRN 10077105

Where these figures come from