Durrington Infant School

About Durrington Infant School

Durrington Infant School was rated Requires Improvement overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a downgrade from the Good rating it received in its previous inspection in 2016. The inspection report shows a split picture: the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, while early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes all remain Good. Because the school covers only Reception to Year 2, there are no published Key Stage 2 SATs results to compare against the West Sussex local authority average of 56. That means the Ofsted quality of education judgement is the single most informative academic metric available. It suggests that while the school has clear strengths in how it supports children's personal growth and conduct, the core teaching and curriculum delivery are not yet consistently effective. Parents will want to ask the school directly about how it tracks pupil progress through the early years and Key Stage 1.

The school's early years provision is rated Good, which is a positive sign for children joining the nursery or Reception classes. Durrington Infant School has a nursery on site, so families with three-year-olds can benefit from continuity into the main school. With 252 pupils on roll against a capacity of 240, the school is slightly oversubscribed. In the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 131 applications for 54 places, with 50 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.43 applicants per place, indicating strong local demand despite the current Ofsted rating. The school serves a reasonably diverse intake, with 17.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals. There are no published exam results to benchmark against the local authority average, so parents will need to rely on the Ofsted report and direct conversations with the school about internal assessment data.

Durrington Infant School offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, art studios, library, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports on offer include gymnastics, netball, tennis, swimming, cross country, and rounders, while clubs include film, eco, gardening, and coding. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech language and communication needs, so it is equipped to support children with a range of additional needs. The nearest outstanding-rated school is Springfield Infant School and Nursery, 3.2 kilometres away. This school may suit parents who value a strong early years foundation and are comfortable with a school that is actively working on improvement, particularly those who live close enough to secure a place in a competitive catchment.

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