Stedham Primary School

About Stedham Primary School

Stedham Primary School is a small state primary in Chichester that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 22 applications for just 6 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.67, meaning nearly four families applied for every spot. All six first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while the school is popular, it is not impossible to secure a spot if you live nearby. The school is a mixed, non-religious primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a total of 42 pupils against a capacity of 105, so it is operating well below capacity. Around 21.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools. The headteacher is listed as Malcolm Meaby and Mr Nick Tidey, though it is not clear from the data whether this is a joint leadership or a recent change.

Academically, Stedham’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2018. The inspection found that the quality of education and leadership and management both require improvement, while early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all rated Good. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 50% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the West Sussex local authority average of 56%. However, individual subject scores were stronger: 75% met the expected standard in reading and maths, and 50% in writing. At the higher standard, 50% of pupils achieved above the expected level in reading, 25% in maths, and none in writing. The school’s average reading score was 109 and maths score was 106, both above the national average of 100. Nationally, Stedham ranks in the bottom 50% of primary schools for the combined RWM expected measure.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, music rooms, playing fields, a forest school, dining hall, sports hall and a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, rounders, cricket, football and tennis, and there are clubs such as film club, choir, coding, book club and science club. For children with additional needs, Stedham has SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given its small size and rural setting, this school would suit families who value a close-knit, community feel and are comfortable with a school that is still working on improving its academic outcomes. The oversubscription ratio suggests strong local demand, but the school is not full, so there may be spaces for families who apply outside the first preference round.

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