Bolney CofE Primary School

About Bolney CofE Primary School

Bolney CofE Primary School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025, with every assessed category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision — all judged Good. The school’s most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stood at 25% in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure is well below the West Sussex local authority average of 56%, placing the school 175th out of 226 primary schools in the county. In reading, 63% of pupils met the expected standard, with an average scaled score of 102, while in writing it was 50% and in maths 38%. The school’s maths average score was 98. Just 6% of pupils achieved a higher standard in maths, and none did so in writing. Nationally, Bolney ranks in the bottom 2% of primary schools for combined reading, writing and maths attainment.

Despite the modest headline results, the school’s parent view data tells a more positive story. In the period from September 2024 to September 2025, 85% of the 40 respondents said they would recommend the school. Strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (93%), feels safe (93%), and does well (86%). On behaviour, 88% felt pupils are well behaved, and 85% said the school supports their child’s wider personal development. However, there were areas of concern: 31% of parents disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need, and 18% disagreed that the school keeps them informed of their child’s progress. The school’s Ofsted report noted that early years provision was previously Requires Improvement in 2011 but has now been raised to Good.

Bolney CofE Primary is a small Church of England school with 97 pupils on roll, operating below its capacity of 112. It is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 reception intake, with 34 applications for 16 places and 18 first-preference applications resulting in 15 offers. The school offers a sensory room, sports hall, library, dining hall and chapel, and runs clubs including gardening, drama, choir, science, eco and chess. Sports on offer include tennis, athletics, cross country and dance. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health support. The school is best suited to families who value a small, faith-based village primary with strong community feel and good parent satisfaction, but who are aware that academic outcomes in core subjects are significantly below the local average.

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