Goldstone Primary School

About Goldstone Primary School

Goldstone Primary School is a mixed state primary for ages 4 to 11 in Brighton and Hove, and it is a school that families clearly want to get into. With 674 pupils on roll against a capacity of 704, the school is running very close to full, and the demand is intense: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 201 applications for just 83 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.42. Of those 201 applicants, 76 put Goldstone as their first preference, and 76 first-preference offers were made — meaning every family who wanted it most got a place, but anyone listing it lower had no chance. The school’s free school meal rate sits at 18.5%, which is above the national average for primary schools (typically around 23-24%) but not exceptionally high, suggesting a reasonably mixed catchment. The headteacher is Anne Gibbs, and the school has no religious character.

Academically, Goldstone sits in the middle of the pack locally and nationally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 59% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — exactly matching the Brighton and Hove local authority average of 59%. That places the school 24th out of 40 primaries in the LA, and in the bottom 50% nationally (59.5th percentile). The school’s ranking score of 59 puts it some way behind the top local peers like Bilingual Primary School (77) and Hove Junior School (72). Looking at individual subjects, reading scores were strongest: 79% reached the expected standard and 34% achieved a higher standard, with an average score of 106. Maths followed at 72% expected and 24% higher, while writing lagged at 70% expected and just 6% higher. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds, but the raw outcomes are solidly average.

The school offers a good range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, art studios, a sensory room and even a chapel, plus sports such as gymnastics, tennis, athletics, netball, dance and swimming. There is also a nursery provision, which will appeal to families looking for continuity from age 3. Goldstone has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. The most recent Ofsted inspection was an ungraded visit in July 2023, which confirmed the school remains Good — a rating it has held consistently since its last graded inspection in 2013. For families who want a well-subscribed, average-attaining primary with solid SEND support and a broad extracurricular programme including choir, drama, chess and book club, Goldstone is a reliable choice, though those seeking top-tier academic results may want to look at the higher-ranked schools nearby.

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