St Margaret's CofE Primary School

About St Margaret's CofE Primary School

St Margaret's CofE Primary School in Arun is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11, and it is running very close to full capacity with 415 pupils against a school capacity of 420. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.3%, which is below the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively less disadvantaged intake than many schools nationally. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 102 total applications for 47 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.17. Of those, 45 first-preference applications were made, and 45 first-preference offers were issued, meaning every family who put it first got a place, but the overall competition for remaining places is significant. The school has a Church of England religious character and is led by headteacher George Lumley. Its facilities include a forest school, a sensory room, a chapel, and a gymnasium, alongside more typical primary resources like a library and ICT suite.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in 2022, St Margaret's was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. The previous graded inspection in 2012 also rated the school Good overall, and the 2022 ungraded inspection confirmed it remains Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 55% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is just one percentage point below the local authority average of 56%, placing the school 14th out of 27 schools in Arun on this metric and in the bottom 50% nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 70% reached the expected standard in reading, 79% in writing, and 59% in maths. The average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. A smaller proportion of pupils reached the higher standard: 5% across all three subjects, 29% in reading, 9% in writing, and 14% in maths.

The school offers a range of sports including athletics, swimming, cricket, dance and netball, plus clubs such as science club, coding and eco club. For pupils with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, and it also has a resourced provision. Given its oversubscription, families living within the catchment area or with a strong church connection are likely to have an advantage at admission. The school does not have a nursery or sixth form. It suits families who want a Church of England primary with a broad range of facilities and a solid, if not outstanding, academic record that sits close to the local average. The strong demand suggests it is well-regarded locally, particularly among families who value its inclusive SEND offer and outdoor learning through the forest school.

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