Carden Nursery and Primary School, Brighton

Ofsted's report card from its 3 March 2026 inspection grades Carden Nursery and Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard, 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The school's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion is a notable strength."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Whole-school attendance has improved this year and is now just below the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad and balanced curriculum with clear end points that sets out the knowledge, skills and language pupils need for their next stages of learning."

Early years - Expected standard. "The curriculum is carefully structured to support children's progress through the early years foundation stage."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify and assess pupils' needs with accuracy."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are dedicated and ambitious, with a clear focus on pupils' wellbeing and achievement."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils achieve well and make impressive progress in English by the end of key stage 2."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the teaching of mathematics is consistently effective so that pupils achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that staff continue to refine how they adapt teaching so that all pupils learn as well as they can across the curriculum".

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Carden Nursery and Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 55% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 69% in Brighton and Hove and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 69% in reading and 60% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Carden Nursery and Primary School as their first choice and 120 named it as one of their preferences, for 32 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Carden Nursery and Primary School are Patcham Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 83% reading, 79% maths); Coldean Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 66% reading, 61% maths); Patcham Infant School (0.8 miles, Good); and Hertford Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 69% reading, 56% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Carden Nursery and Primary School.

61 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Carden Nursery and Primary School (as of April 2026): 100% 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 they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).

37.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 59 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 46 (12.8%) 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.

Carden Nursery and Primary School has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 22 places, 21 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Moulsecoomb Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Carden Hill (opposite), 170 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 147 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Brighton and Hove (366).

In 2024/25, Carden Nursery and Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 2.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Carden Nursery and Primary School are Patcham High School (0.7 miles), Varndean School (1 mile), Dorothy Stringer School (1.2 miles) and Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (1.6 miles).