Amberley CofE Primary School

About Amberley CofE Primary School

Amberley CofE Primary School is a small Church of England primary in West Sussex, serving just 45 pupils from ages 4 to 11 in the Horsham area. With a capacity of 70, it is one of the smaller state primaries in the local authority, which contains 226 primary schools in total. In the local landscape, it sits among peers that include Barns Green Primary School, Heron Way Primary School, and Aldingbourne Primary School, all of which rank closely on the school finder’s scoring system. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 11 applications for just 4 places, with only 2 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.75, suggesting strong local demand despite the school’s modest size. Headteacher Elizabeth Martin leads a setting where 26.7 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, above the national average, and the school’s religious character as Church of England is reflected in its on-site chapel.

Academically, Amberley CofE Primary holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. The most recent graded inspection took place in October 2024, and inspectors rated the quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all as Good. The previous inspection in 2018 also rated overall effectiveness as Good, though early years provision was judged as Requires Improvement at that time. No specific KS2 SATs results are available in the data, so it is not possible to compare directly against the West Sussex local authority average of 56 per cent achieving the expected standard. However, parent feedback is notably positive: 94 per cent of the 16 respondents would recommend the school, and 100 per cent strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. Responses around behaviour and communication are also strong, with 94 per cent agreeing the school makes them aware of what their child will learn.

The school offers a practical range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, a sensory room, and a forest school area. Sports on offer include football, cricket, dance, swimming, and athletics, while clubs extend to drama, choir, eco club, gardening, science club, and art club. For pupils with additional needs, the school provides support for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, and autistic spectrum disorder. Notably, the parent view question on SEND support received no responses, so it is difficult to gauge parental satisfaction in that area. The school does not have a nursery or sixth form, and it is not a boarding school. For families in Horsham and the surrounding West Sussex villages, Amberley CofE Primary suits those who value a very small, community-focused setting with a Church of England character, strong parental endorsement, and a clear record of good behaviour and safety, though they will need to apply early given the high level of oversubscription.

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