Bolney CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath
Bolney CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Haywards Heath. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 18 schools in Haywards Heath with published results, and 13,886th of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bolney CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Bolney CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 20% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (63% in reading, 38% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Bolney CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Bolney CofE Primary School as their first choice and 29 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 Bolney CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bolney CofE Primary School are Twineham CofE Primary School (1.8 miles, Requires improvement, 86% reading, 57% maths); Southway Junior School (3.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School (3.2 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield (3.2 miles, 88% reading, 87% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Bolney CofE Primary School.
Twineham CofE Primary SchoolSouthway Junior SchoolSt Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolHoly Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield
What parents say
40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bolney CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (93%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (75%).
Who goes there
8.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 11 pupils (10.4%) received SEN support and 8 (7.5%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Bolney CofE Primary School had 7 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Bolney CofE Primary School.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bankside (s-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often public order offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bolney CofE Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bolney is a warm, happy school where children thrive both academically and personally. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and high expectations, and the school offers fantastic enrichment opportunities from school productions to sporting competitions. The school prepares pupils exceptionally well for their next stage of education with a carefully planned curriculum that builds knowledge step-by-step.
Key Strengths
- Effective teaching of early reading with pupils learning to read fluently from Reception onwards
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that builds logically and prepares pupils for secondary school
- Happy, calm school environment where pupils behave well and feel safe
- Strong personal development opportunities including school council, eco-committee, and wide range of clubs
- Warm, supportive community where staff know pupils well and help them develop confidence and resilience
Areas for Improvement
- Not enough focus on developing pupils' writing skills - some pupils find it difficult to express themselves in written work
- Learning is not always adapted well enough in some subjects to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, affecting their progress
- Need to provide more regular opportunities to practice writing to develop pupils' accuracy and confidence
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School productions, sporting competitions, musical instruments, school council, eco-committee, clubs, overseas school links, singing performances at events like the O2
Bolney CofE Primary School is a happy and welcoming school where pupils feel safe and flourish in a supportive atmosphere. The school has an ambitious curriculum with strong teaching that prepares pupils well for secondary school.
At a Glance
8.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
40 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 38% to 20% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 60% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bolney CofE Primary School
Term dates
Bolney CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by West Sussex. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bolney CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bolney CofE Primary School is in West Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to West Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 14 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
4 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 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 Bolney CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Bolney CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bolney CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bolney CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bolney CofE Primary School.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Bolney CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bolney CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Sussex 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
87%
Available places
97 pupils
112 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Haywards Heath
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Haywards Heath
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,608
Applications
8,127
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
17.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
106
Total Pupils
55
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,275
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,411
Per pupil
£662k
Total funding
£3k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
14.0%
Persistent absence
86
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Bolney CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bolney CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bolney CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 20% did so in maths.
What is Bolney CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bolney CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bolney CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bolney CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, West Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bolney CofE Primary School?
Bolney CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 112 places.
How big are the classes at Bolney CofE Primary School?
Classes at Bolney CofE Primary School average 27 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bolney CofE Primary School?
Bolney CofE Primary School has around 106 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bolney CofE Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Bolney CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 14% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bolney CofE Primary School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Bolney CofE 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.
What are Bolney CofE Primary School's term dates?
Bolney CofE Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by West Sussex. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Bolney CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 14 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 4 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bolney CofE Primary School?
Bolney CofE Primary School is at Church Lane, Bolney, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5QP.
Sources: West Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)