School Chooser

Thomas A Becket Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedCouncil715 pupilsWorthingWest Sussex
School Chooser Score
61
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 47 to 74
Out of 100. Better than 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2024
Reached the expected level at 1168%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places119 spare715 pupils, 834 places
Pupils per teacher22.1School workforce census

Thomas A Becket Junior School is a council school in Worthing for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 715 pupils and room for 834. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 61 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Glebeside Avenue, Worthing, BN14 7PR01903 202268tabjunior.org.ukMrs Becky Linford headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 20 March 2024 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
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: 58%58%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 63%63%20232024: 66%66%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2017: +10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017West SussexEngland
Pupils tested182186181186171231
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%66%63%62%61%58%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%10%6%10%10%5%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0105.0105.0104.0105.0105.0105.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0105.0105.0105.0104.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0105.0106.0106.0106.0105.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%82%74%73%77%76%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard80%73%79%80%76%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%83%79%74%75%66%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.4-1.5-0.8-1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.4-0.5-0.4-2.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged48%48%46%43%46%49%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged72%69%66%64%65%59%

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 4 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
48%72%
Gap 24 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%67%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
50%68%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 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 places720 pupils for 888 places, 2024/25
81% full

168 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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 (181 offers for 192 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2025 Primary192181181all 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 roll715Census January 2026
Places83486% full
Pupils from low-income families15%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%126 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.824 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils38%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£156,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls353 / 362
White British pupils81%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (45), Moderate learning difficulty (32), language and communications needs (32), Specific learning difficulty (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Multi-sensory impairment (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll715721730716745708
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%16%14%13%12%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%5%5%5%4%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%12%12%11%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%4.6%4.6%6.1%5.1%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.7%3.8%5.1%4.6%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%0.9%0.8%1.1%0.5%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.2%8.4%10.8%14.7%15.0%4.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.00.80.41.30.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers32.4full-time equivalent, 37 people
Pupils per teacher22.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers97%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,988
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.82024/25

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£5,580England £7,738. Total £4.0m
Income per pupil£5,496England £7,697. Total £4.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,994England £3,480
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £184k, £255 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£61kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£5,580spent 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 m31812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate68 per 1,000 people26% lower than the England average
Typical house price£350,000Worthing
Nearest bus stop140 mThomas A Becket School, 16 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
Thomas A Becket Infant SchoolCouncil370 m473Not inspectedCompare
Broadwater CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England920 m431Good 202381Compare
Durrington Infant SchoolCouncil0.8 miles217Report card 202662Compare
Durrington Junior SchoolCouncil0.8 miles334Good 202273Compare
Heene CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles382Inadequate 20221Compare
Elm Grove Primary School, WorthingCouncil1.0 miles203Good 202460Compare
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, WorthingRoman Catholic1.0 miles187Good 202226Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles253Good 201947Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Thomas A Becket Junior 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.

Beats79%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 61 is 6 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 55 · highest 94100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 61 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 61% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 47 to 74. 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; 182 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 182 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.08
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.09
2024/25; 732 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 182 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 Thomas A Becket Junior School a good school?

It is about average. Thomas A Becket Junior School scores 61 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 79% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 47 to 74, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Thomas A Becket Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Thomas A Becket Junior School good at its last full inspection on 20 March 2024.

How good are Thomas A Becket Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Thomas A Becket Junior School have?

715 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 834 places, so it is 86% full.

Is Thomas A Becket Junior School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 168 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Thomas A Becket Junior School?

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Thomas A Becket Junior School?

The average class had 29.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 38% 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
Glebeside Avenue, Worthing, BN14 7PR
Telephone
01903 202268
Website
tabjunior.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Becky Linford
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Sussex
Ward
Gaisford
Constituency
East Worthing and Shoreham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
125955 · LAESTAB 9382232 · UKPRN 10075074

Where these figures come from