East Preston Infant School

About East Preston Infant School

If you're a parent considering East Preston Infant School, the feedback from other families is a good place to start. In the most recent Parent View survey, 88% of respondents said they would recommend the school, with 76 families taking part. That's a strong vote of confidence. The school is clearly popular: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 154 applications for 79 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.95 applicants per place. 75 of those offers went to first-preference families. Looking at the detail, parents feel their children are happy and safe – 92% either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 97% felt the same about safety. Communication seems to be a strength too, with 93% saying the school makes them aware of what their child will learn, and 92% agreeing their child does well. The school's headteacher is Claire New.

Academically, East Preston Infant School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, confirmed in its most recent graded inspection in June 2025. The inspectors judged all key areas as Good, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also rated Good. This is consistent with its previous inspection in 2011, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good. As an infant school (ages 5-7), it doesn't publish KS2 SATs results, so direct academic comparisons with the local authority average aren't available here. However, the Ofsted report noted that the school has high expectations, and 83% of parents in the survey agreed with that statement. The school's capacity is 270, and it currently has 236 pupils on roll, so there is some room, though the oversubscription figures suggest demand is high.

For families, the school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, music rooms, a sensory room, and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, gymnastics, swimming, dance, rounders, tennis, and cricket, while clubs range from chess and choir to science, eco, gardening, and drama. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. 24% of survey respondents said their child has SEND, and 72% of those agreed the school gives them the support they need – though 28% disagreed, which is worth noting. With a low percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals at 5.9%, the school serves a relatively less deprived catchment. This is a solid, well-regarded local option for families seeking a Good-rated infant school in the Arun area.

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