Downs Infant School
Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 6JAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Downs Infant School is a primary school in Brighton for ages 5 to 7. It is one of the 75 schools in Brighton and Hove. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 24 September 2024, report published 21 October 2024
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 24 September 2024
Children learn and play together very happily at this warm and nurturing infant school. The school takes great care to get to know each child and their family. Parents and carers are unanimously positive about the school. Every pupil feels valued and welcomed in the school community. The school designs wider opportunities, such as sports day, with the needs of every pupil in mind. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). One parent described the school as a 'beacon of inclusivity'. Most pupils achieve well academically. However, the school recognises there is more to do in some areas of the curriculum to ensure success for every child. The school has high expectations for behaviour. All pupils learn about their emotions. They are taught how to stay regulated so that they are 'ready, respectful and safe'. Pupils are kind and value difference and diversity. When pupils need additional support to manage their behaviour, the school plans this carefully and effectively. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Most attend very well. A small number have, over time, attended less well. The school has worked hard to build positive and nurturing relationships with the families of these pupils. Though this work is at an early stage, it has already had a very positive impact on the attendance of individual pupils.
What the school should improve
- Some staff lack the expertise they need to support the weakest readers, including those with SEND. This slows the rate at which these pupils develop their reading fluency. The school should ensure that all staff who support pupils at the early stages of learning to read have the training and expertise they need.
- The school does not consistently intervene quickly enough when pupils, including pupils with SEND, are not learning key foundational knowledge and skills. These pupils find it harder to keep up with the expectations of the curriculum over time and are not as well prepared for their next steps. The school should ensure that it spots children who are falling behind quickly and provides effective support.
Pupil numbers and mix
289 pupils on roll, with places for 300
Schools near Downs Infant School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downs Junior School | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
| Fairlight Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 51% met the expected standard |
| St Martin's CofE Primary School | 0.4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
| Elm Grove Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 39% met the expected standard |
| Coombe Road Primary School | 0.7 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 5 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Lisa Walker
- Phone
- 01273099854
- Address
- Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 6JA
- Local authority
- Brighton and Hove
- URN
- 114367
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.