Buckingham Park Primary School

About Buckingham Park Primary School

Buckingham Park Primary School’s headline KS2 result sits comfortably above the West Sussex local authority average, with 70% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the LA average of 56%. That 14-point gap is a meaningful indicator of stronger-than-average academic performance for a state primary in this area. The school ranks 4th out of 11 primaries in Adur, placing it in the top half of its immediate borough, and nationally it sits in the 30th percentile — a solid, if not spectacular, showing. Its overall Ofsted rating is Good, confirmed by an ungraded inspection in 2023, and the school has clearly improved since its previous graded inspection in 2013, when it was judged to require improvement. Leadership and management are also rated Good, suggesting a stable and effective senior team under headteacher Kim Brown.

Looking more closely at the KS2 breakdown, the school’s strongest subject is reading, where 81% of pupils met the expected standard and 45% achieved a higher score — well above the national average for higher attainment. The average reading score of 107 is also strong. Maths is slightly behind but still respectable, with 79% at expected standard and an average score of 105. Writing is the weakest area: 76% reached the expected standard and only 9% achieved a higher score, which is low. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard across all three subjects (reading, writing and maths) is just 8%, so while most children are meeting expectations, very few are exceeding them. The school has 14.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national average, and its Progress 8 scores are not available, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds beyond raw attainment.

The school is oversubscribed, with 128 applications for 46 places in 2025/26 and all first-preference applicants offered a spot — a 2.78-to-1 ratio that suggests strong local demand. Facilities are varied and include a forest school, sensory room, music rooms and an ICT suite, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision covers football, netball, cross country and tennis, and clubs include gardening, choir and book club. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate to severe learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language, visual impairment and autism. With 480 pupils against a capacity of 610, there is some room for growth. This is a solid, well-run primary that suits families looking for above-average KS2 results in a mixed, non-religious setting, particularly those who value strong reading outcomes and a wide range of facilities and SEND support.

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