Rustington Community Primary School

About Rustington Community Primary School

Rustington Community Primary School is a mixed state primary in the West Sussex coastal town of Rustington, and it’s a school that families clearly want to get into. With 579 pupils on roll against a capacity of 630, the school is operating at just under 92% full, leaving a little breathing room but not much. The real demand signal comes from the 2025/26 admissions round: for 55 places, the school received 134 applications, an oversubscription ratio of 2.44 to one. Of those, 54 were first-preference applications, and 54 first-preference offers were made, meaning virtually every family who put it first got a place, but competition from outside that group is stiff. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 7.9%, well below the national primary average of around 23%, suggesting a relatively affluent intake. The school has a non-religious character, so there’s no faith-based admissions criteria to factor in.

Academically, Rustington Community Primary performs solidly but not spectacularly. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the local authority average of 56% for primary schools. The school ranks 8th out of 27 primaries in the Arun local authority area on this metric, placing it in the top third locally, though nationally it sits in the 55th percentile. Individual subject scores are respectable: a reading average score of 105, maths at 103, and 76% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 75% in maths, and 72% in writing. Higher-attaining pupils are less common, with just 5% reaching the higher standard across all three subjects. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025 rated it Good across all graded areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, a consistent performance compared with its previous Good rating from 2011.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for a primary, including an ICT suite, gymnasium, sensory room, and even a chapel, plus outdoor playground space. Sports provision covers athletics, netball, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, cricket, and cross country, and there are clubs for coding, science, art, and book club. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views from the 2024/25 period are broadly positive: 89% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 90% felt their child is safe. However, the SEND support question showed a split, with 50% agreeing or strongly agreeing and 44% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing, so it’s worth probing further if your child has specific needs. This is a well-regarded local option for families in Rustington who want a Good-rated primary with strong demand but not impossible odds of getting in.

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