Benfield Primary School, Brighton
Benfield Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Brighton, part of The Compass Partnership of Schools. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 20th-highest of the 36 schools in Brighton with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. It was 53% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Brighton and Hove (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Benfield Primary School in detail
Benfield Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, athletics, dance and ukulele.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Benfield Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 69% in Brighton and Hove and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Benfield Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Benfield Primary School as their first choice and 76 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Benfield Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Benfield Primary School are Brackenbury Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 61% maths); St Nicolas CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 72% reading, 69% maths); and Peter Gladwin Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths).
Benfield Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Brackenbury Primary SchoolSt Nicolas CofE Primary SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolPeter Gladwin Primary School
The trust
Benfield Primary School is one of 28 schools run by The Compass Partnership of Schools, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
39.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 36 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 16 (7.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Staffing
Benfield Primary School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Portslade Rail Station, about 350 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Benfield Way (adjacent), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Benfield Primary School issued 12 suspensions, 5.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Benfield Primary School are Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (1.1 miles), Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre (1.3 miles), Blatchington Mill School (1.3 miles) and King's School (1.4 miles).
Portslade Aldridge Community AcademyHove Park School and Sixth Form CentreBlatchington Mill SchoolKing's School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Benfield Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Benfield Primary School (URN 114412), it was rated Good in April 2016.
At a Glance
39.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
26.1
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
26.4
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Benfield Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Benfield Primary School.
- ActiveMe 360 CIC @ Benfield Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- The Skate Club - BenfieldAt the school · Not yet graded
- Go Wild Workshops LTD St Nicolas C of E primary580m away · Not yet graded
- Sussex Kids Hub580m away · Not yet graded
- The Skate Club - St Nicolas580m away · Not yet graded
- PLAY at SM and SMM670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Benfield Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Benfield Primary School is in Brighton and Hove; for families living there:
Apply to Brighton and Hove for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 57
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 15
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 57 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 15 serious and 41 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Benfield Primary School
Will you get a place at Benfield Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Benfield Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Benfield Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Benfield Primary School.
- Brighton and Hove publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Benfield Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Benfield Primary School for 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Brighton and Hove got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
53%
Available places
213 pupils
405 places
192 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Brighton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brighton
Across Brighton and Hove council
Places available
2,430
Applications
1,936
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Brighton and Hove council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
36
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
24.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
209
Total Pupils
98
Boys
111
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
13.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,636
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,997
Per pupil
£1521k
Total funding
£123k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.8%
Overall absence
20.3%
Persistent absence
202
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Benfield Primary School
What are SATs results like at Benfield Primary School?
Of the pupils at Benfield Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Benfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Benfield Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as Benfield Primary School (URN 114412), it was rated Good in April 2016.
What is the catchment area for Benfield Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Benfield Primary School is oversubscribed, Brighton and Hove allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Benfield Primary School?
Benfield Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 53% of its 405 places.
How big are the classes at Benfield Primary School?
Classes at Benfield Primary School average 26.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Benfield Primary School?
Benfield Primary School has around 209 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Benfield Primary School?
6.8% of sessions were missed at Benfield Primary School in 2024/25. 20.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Benfield Primary School?
Apply through Brighton and Hove's coordinated admissions process, naming Benfield Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Benfield Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: ActiveMe 360 CIC @ Benfield Primary School (registered, not yet graded) and The Skate Club - Benfield (registered, not yet graded). There are 4 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Benfield Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 57 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 15 serious and 41 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Benfield Primary School?
Benfield Primary School is at 255 Old Shoreham Road, Portslade, Brighton, East Sussex, BN41 1XS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)