Woodgate Primary Academy

About Woodgate Primary Academy

Woodgate Primary Academy, a state primary in Mid Sussex, was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2017, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The school’s leadership and management, alongside its early years provision, were both judged Good. However, the most telling academic metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results. Just 25% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, placing the school at the very bottom of its local authority ranking — 30th out of 30 primary schools in Mid Sussex. Nationally, it sits in the bottom 2% of schools on this measure. Reading was a relative strength, with 83% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 17% achieving a higher score, but writing and maths lagged significantly behind, with only 33% and 42% reaching the expected level respectively.

The school’s average maths score of 99 is just below the national benchmark of 100, while the average reading score of 105 is above it. No progress scores are available for reading, writing or maths, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Compared with the West Sussex local authority average of 56% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, Woodgate’s 25% is well below par. The school is small, with 147 pupils against a capacity of 105, meaning it is oversubscribed — 58 applications were received for 30 places in 2025/26, with 27 first-preference offers made from 32 first-preference applications. This suggests strong local demand despite the academic outcomes.

Woodgate offers a broad range of facilities including a sensory room, art studios, forest school and a chapel, plus sports such as athletics, football, tennis, swimming and cross country. Clubs include chess, book club, gardening, choir, drama and science club. The school has a nursery provision for children aged two and above. Its SEND provisions are extensive, covering moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. This makes it a potentially strong fit for families with children who have identified special educational needs, particularly those who might benefit from a smaller, more nurturing setting. However, parents prioritising strong academic outcomes at Key Stage 2 may want to look at higher-performing peers in the area.

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