School Chooser

The Laurels Primary School, Worthing

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy193 pupilsWorthingWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
27
Below
similar schools
Likely range 11 to 55, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2022
Reached the expected level at 1135%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places17 spare193 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher19.7School workforce census

The Laurels Primary School, Worthing is a converter academy in Worthing for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 193 pupils and room for 210. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 27 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Winterbourne Way, West Durrington, Worthing, BN13 3QH01903 830901laurelsprimary.co.ukMiss Charlotte Bull headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 October 2022, 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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1135%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
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
2018 to 2025
2018: 47%47%20182019: 81%81%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 72%72%20242025: 35%35%2025
Since 2018: -12%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018West SussexEngland
Pupils tested2325202117
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths35%72%70%81%47%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%12%5%14%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0105.0105.0107.0103.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0105.0106.0105.0101.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0107.0104.0106.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard70%72%85%86%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard48%84%85%86%65%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)70%76%80%81%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.1+1.9-3.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.4+0.6-5.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged43%71%71%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged31%72%69%93%

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
43%31%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
46%20%
Gap 26 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 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.

A few spare places188 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
90% full

About 22 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

How places were given out for September 2025.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary303430LA
2024 Primary303130LA
2023 Primary303630LA

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 roll193Census January 2026
Places21092% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support24%47 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.67 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%£77,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls83 / 110
White British pupils72%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (20), Other difficulty or disability (10), emotional and mental health (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Moderate learning difficulty (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll193189190184181187
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%26%28%29%33%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%19%11%10%10%10%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%18%20%22%17%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%2%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils9.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%5.5%5.4%5.4%2.2%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.0%4.1%4.5%1.9%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.5%1.3%1.0%0.3%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.5%15.9%13.6%12.4%2.5%11.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate9.06.83.30.61.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01100

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.8full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher19.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,317
Teachers who left in the year20%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.82024/25

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£6,624England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£7,037England £7,587. Total £1.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,222England £3,405
Money in reserve17%A healthy amount put by: £222k, £1,175 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£78kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,624spent 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 m37212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate87 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£350,000Worthing
Nearest bus stop170 mOrkney Court, 17 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
Hawthorns Primary SchoolAcademy340 m173Requires improvement 202113Compare
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, WorthingRoman Catholic0.7 miles187Good 202226Compare
Orchards Junior SchoolAcademy0.7 miles496Good 202430Compare
Orchards Infant SchoolAcademy0.7 miles281Requires improvement 20211Compare
Durrington Junior SchoolCouncil1.0 miles334Good 202273Compare
Durrington Infant SchoolCouncil1.0 miles217Report card 202662Compare
Goring-By-Sea CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles421Good 202370Compare
West Park CofE Primary (Controlled) SchoolChurch of England1.2 miles760Not inspected23Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Laurels Primary School, Worthing with the 43 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 43 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats23%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 27 is 26 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 6 · middle 53 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 27 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 27% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 55. 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
-0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 23 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
DfE progress measure; 23 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.25
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 168 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 23 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 The Laurels Primary School, Worthing a good school?

The figures are weak. The Laurels Primary School, Worthing scores 27 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 55, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is The Laurels Primary School, Worthing's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Laurels Primary School, Worthing good at its last full inspection on 19 October 2022.

How good are The Laurels Primary School, Worthing's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 35% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Laurels Primary School, Worthing have?

193 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 92% full.

Is The Laurels Primary School, Worthing oversubscribed?

Probably not. 22 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Laurels Primary School, Worthing?

Pupils were in school 95.1% 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 The Laurels Primary School, Worthing?

The average class had 27.6 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
Winterbourne Way, West Durrington, Worthing, BN13 3QH
Telephone
01903 830901
Website
www.laurelsprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Charlotte Bull
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Durrington Multi Academy Trust (4 schools)
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
Northbrook
Constituency
Worthing West
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2016 (academy converter)
URN
143386 · LAESTAB 9382233 · UKPRN 10057693
Formerly
The Laurels Primary School, Worthing

Where these figures come from