Hollycombe Primary School

About Hollycombe Primary School

Hollycombe Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in January 2024, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its recent inspections. The school’s most telling academic metric comes from its Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year, where 40% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits below the West Sussex local authority average of 56%, placing Hollycombe 149th out of 226 primary schools of the same type in the county. Drilling into individual subjects, reading is the strongest area: 80% of pupils met the expected standard and 20% achieved the higher standard, with an average scaled score of 106. Maths tells a more mixed story, with 60% reaching the expected level and 13% hitting the higher standard, giving an average score of 102. Writing is the weakest area, with 53% at the expected standard and no pupils reaching the higher standard. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% of primaries for combined attainment.

The Ofsted report gives a more detailed picture of the school’s quality. Every category inspected — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was rated Good. Inspectors noted that behaviour and attitudes are strong, which aligns with the school’s small size: just 107 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 105. The school has a very low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 4.7%, well below the national average. Hollycombe does not have a sixth form or nursery provision, so it serves only the primary years from age 4 to 11. Its previous inspection in 2013 also rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also Good at that time, suggesting steady, if not improving, performance over the past decade.

Hollycombe is a popular choice locally, with 33 applications for 13 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.54 applicants per place. Twelve of those 33 were first-preference applications, and all 12 received offers. The school offers a range of facilities including a library, art studios, a dining hall, an outdoor playground, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision includes swimming, tennis, cross country, athletics, cricket and gymnastics, while clubs cover science, film and choir. For children with additional needs, the school has SEND provision for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and physical disabilities. This is a small, community-focused primary that suits families who prioritise a stable, Good-rated school with strong behaviour and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with below-average academic outcomes at Key Stage 2.

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