St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School

  • Primary
  • Local authority maintained
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Normandy, Horsham, RH12 1JLOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School is a primary school in Horsham for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 332 schools in West Sussex. It ranks 14th of 26 primary schools in Horsham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2019.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 30 January 2019, report published 3 March 2019

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 January 2025

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They are kind and respectful towards one another. Those who arrive mid-year or mid-phase are welcomed warmly and helped to settle into the school's well-established routines. Pupils report feeling safe, happy and well supported by adults in school. This view is reflected in the daily workings of the school, where pupils behave well and the atmosphere is calm and purposeful. New routines and equipment have enhanced the quality of play during social times, which pupils appreciate. The school incorporates pupils from a broad and growing range of backgrounds and cultures. An increasing number are new to the country and speak English as an additional language. Staff plan carefully the extra help pupils may need to access their learning, taking their different circumstances into account. This enables pupils to be prepared successfully for secondary education, realising the school's high expectations for their academic learning. Equally, pupils are prepared comprehensively for life as a 21st century citizen in a culturally diverse Britain. Older pupils appreciate their opportunities to contribute to the life of the school, such as by being playground or worship leaders.

What the school should improve

  • Work to revise the curriculum has been deliberately planned over a two-year cycle. Some changes are quite new and others are taking place this year. Consequently, the precision of curriculum sequencing and use of assessment to refine future learning is variable across the range of subjects. The school should ensure its current work to develop the quality of education enables pupils to learn consistently well across the whole curriculum.
  • Some checks on standards, particularly relating to the quality of education, are not as comprehensive as they could be. This risks leaders and governors losing sight of some aspects of provision while they focus on others. The school should review and refine its approach to monitoring so that no aspect of the school declines while another part is the focus of improvement.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

30 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%

67%, 5 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths3%

3%, 5 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score109

109, 3 above the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score108

108, 3 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

200 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals9%

9%, 17.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language25.5%

25.5%, 3.9 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support18%

18%, 3.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.5%

2.5%, 3.5 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St John's Catholic Primary School0.6 milesOfsted: Good60% met the expected standard
Arunside School, Horsham0.6 milesOfsted: Good75% met the expected standard
Greenway Junior School0.8 milesOfsted: Good57% met the expected standard
Trafalgar Community Infant School0.8 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Kingslea Primary School1 mileReport card: Strong standard79% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Voluntary aided school
Sector
Local authority maintained
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mrs Emma McLaughlin
Address
Normandy, Horsham, RH12 1JL
Local authority
West Sussex
URN
126029

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.