English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing
86%
Capacity
180
Pupils
2.3x
Demand
About English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School in Worthing sits below the West Sussex local authority average for its key stage 2 outcomes, which is the headline takeaway for parents comparing schools. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 56 per cent, but at English Martyrs that figure is just 37 per cent. That places the school in the bottom half nationally and bottom of the 16 primaries in Worthing itself. It is a significant gap, and one that families will want to weigh carefully against other factors, particularly the school’s strong Catholic ethos and its recent improvement in Ofsted grading.
The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022 rated it Good across every category, including behaviour, personal development and leadership. That is a notable step up from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was judged to require improvement overall. In terms of individual subject scores, the average reading score was 103 and maths 102, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100, but the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading and maths was just 16 per cent each, and no child achieved the higher standard in writing. The school’s Progress 8 data is not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw attainment figures are clearly below the local norm.
The school is oversubscribed, with 63 applications for 27 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 26 of those 27 offers went to first-preference families. It has a strong Catholic character and a chapel on site, alongside music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium and playing fields. The school supports pupils with moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 15.6 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, it serves a broadly representative intake. For families who prioritise a faith-based environment and a Good Ofsted rating over headline exam scores, English Martyrs may still be a strong fit, but the attainment gap against the LA average is hard to ignore.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Derwent Drive, Worthing, Worthing, BN12 6LA |
| Headteacher | Helen Townsley |
| Local Authority | West Sussex |
| Number of Pupils | 180 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 15.6% |
| School Capacity | 180 / 210 (86% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Oct 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 27 Nov 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (37%)
12854th of 13,686
Nationally
1910th of 2,034
In South East
16th of 16
In Worthing
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
37%
Expected Standard
0%
Higher Standard
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
8Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed27
63
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
26 families put this school as their 1st choice (41% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:55 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:40
After-school care
15:15-18:00
Source: englishmartyrs.w-sussex.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British71.7%
- Mixed11.1%
- White (other)6.1%
- Asian3.9%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
13
Total schools
10
Oversubscribed
12
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing
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Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Derwent Drive, Worthing
Worthing, BN12 6LA
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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