St Martin's CofE Primary School

About St Martin's CofE Primary School

If you're a parent in Brighton and Hove looking at St Martin's CofE Primary School, the first thing to know is that it's a popular choice. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 65 applications for just 26 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.5, and all 25 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. That suggests a strong local reputation, and it's backed up by the most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, which rated the school Good overall. What's particularly striking is that inspectors judged both personal development and behaviour and attitudes as Outstanding. That's a clear signal that parents can expect a school where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to grow as individuals. The school is a Church of England primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site, and it's led by headteacher Jane Joshi.

Academically, the picture is more mixed. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 37% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 59%. The school ranks 38th out of 40 primary schools in Brighton and Hove on this measure, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, 63% in writing, and 52% in maths. The average reading score was 101 and maths 99, both around the national average. Only 4% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. It's worth noting that 38.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is significantly above the national average, and this context may partly explain the results. The school's Ofsted report noted Good quality of education, so the teaching is solid even if outcomes aren't the highest in the area.

For families considering St Martin's, the practical offer is strong. The school has a good range of facilities including a library, art studios, music rooms, a sports hall, a sensory room, and a forest school, plus playing fields and a chapel. Clubs include film, art, coding, eco and chess, and sports on offer are football, cricket, netball and rounders. The SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 190 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, there's some room, but the oversubscription shows it's in demand. This school would suit families who value a strong pastoral environment and a broad range of activities over top-tier academic rankings, and who appreciate the church foundation and inclusive SEND support.

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