Southway Junior School

About Southway Junior School

Southway Junior School’s Key Stage 2 results sit comfortably above the West Sussex local authority average for primary schools, with 65% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to a county average of 56%. That nine-point gap places the school in the top half of its local authority, ranked 51st out of 226 primary schools. The school’s maths scores are particularly strong: 84% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, and the average maths scaled score of 106 is a solid result. Reading is similarly healthy, with 81% reaching the expected standard and an average scaled score of 107. Where the school really stands out is in the proportion of pupils hitting the higher standard in reading (46%) and maths (35%), though the combined higher standard across all three subjects drops to just 2%, suggesting that writing remains the tougher hurdle for the most able pupils.

Ofsted inspectors visited in January 2025 and judged the school Good across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2019, so the school has held its ground. Parent feedback is broadly positive, with 90% of respondents saying they would recommend the school. Strong majorities agree or strongly agree that their child is happy (89%), feels safe (94%), and that the school has high expectations (91%). However, there is a notable split on SEND support: of the 28 parents who answered the SEND-specific question, 55% disagreed or strongly disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, which is a significant minority view worth investigating if your child has additional needs.

The school is slightly oversubscribed, with 362 pupils against a capacity of 360, and serves a mixed-gender, non-religious cohort aged 7 to 11. Facilities include a library, sports hall, playing fields, forest school area, sensory room, music rooms and a chapel. Clubs cover eco, coding and drama, while sports provision is broad: football, cricket, netball, cross country, tennis, gymnastics and swimming. The school lists nine SEND provisions, including support for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families prioritising solid academic outcomes above the local average, a Good Ofsted rating, and a wide range of extracurricular activities, Southway Junior School is a reliable choice — though parents of children with SEND may want to speak directly to the school about how support is delivered in practice.

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