St Nicolas CofE Primary School

About St Nicolas CofE Primary School

St Nicolas CofE Primary School is a Church of England state primary in Brighton and Hove, one of 48 primary schools across the local authority. It ranks 11th in the LA, placing it comfortably within the top quarter of local primaries. The three highest-scoring peers in the area are Bilingual Primary School - Brighton & Hove, Hove Junior School, and Stanford Junior School, all of which sit above St Nicolas on the local rankings table. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Hove Junior School, about 1.9 kilometres away. St Nicolas itself holds a Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in November 2022, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its recent inspections. The school is led by headteacher Andy Richbell and has a capacity of 436 pupils, with 428 currently on roll. Just over 16 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools.

In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is eight percentage points above the Brighton and Hove LA average of 59 per cent, and places the school in the top 50 nationally by this measure. Looking at individual subjects, 81 per cent reached the expected standard in maths, 75 per cent in reading, and 77 per cent in writing. At the higher standard, 25 per cent achieved it in maths, 37 per cent in reading, and 4 per cent in both writing and the combined measure. Average scaled scores were 105 in maths and 107 in reading, both above the national benchmark of 100. The school does not publish progress scores for any subject, so it is not possible to compare how much pupils improve relative to their starting points. There is no sixth form or nursery provision on site.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 121 applications for 52 places and 49 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.33. Facilities include a Forest School, playing fields, a sports hall, a gymnasium, a library, a chapel, music rooms, an ICT suite, and an outdoor playground. Sports on offer include athletics, rounders, cross country, cricket, and swimming, while clubs range from gardening and drama to science and chess. The school’s SEND provision covers a wide range of needs, including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth of support, combined with above-average academic outcomes and a strong local reputation, makes St Nicolas a solid choice for families seeking a well-resourced Church of England primary in central Brighton.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Nicolas CofE Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents