Leechpool Primary School, Horsham
Leechpool Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Horsham. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 26 schools in Horsham with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- 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
Leechpool Primary School in detail
Leechpool Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "Welcome to Leechpool Primary School, a vibrant and inclusive two-form entry primary school in Horsham, West Sussex. At Leechpool, we are proud to provide a happy, caring and ambitious environment where every child is known, valued and encouraged to achieve their very best."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Monday 26 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in West Sussex
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Leechpool Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 72% in reading and 60% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Leechpool Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Leechpool Primary School as their first choice and 125 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 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 Leechpool Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Leechpool Primary School are Oakfields Primary School, Horsham (0.2 miles, Good, 56% reading, 54% maths); St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School, Horsham (0.6 miles, 93% reading, 93% maths); Kingslea Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); and Heron Way Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 97% maths).
Leechpool Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Oakfields Primary School, HorshamSt Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School, HorshamKingslea Primary SchoolHeron Way Primary School
Who goes there
9.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Littlehaven Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mill Farm Road (opposite), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Leechpool Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 6th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Leechpool Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Leechpool Primary School are Millais School (0.7 miles), The Forest School (0.9 miles) and Bohunt Horsham (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils benefit from many opportunities that broaden their understanding of the world. They appreciate these experiences, are open-minded, and welcome different cultures. Pupils are particularly proud of their roles as pupil leaders. Pupils relish the broad range of clubs that provide opportunities to nurture and explore their talents and interests.
Pupils' behaviour is mixed. Younger pupils at break and lunch play together with positivity and kindness. However, older pupils do not consistently demonstrate the same respect towards others. Mabel, the school dog, is a much-loved part of the school's emotional support for pupils. Pupils appreciate the school's efforts to support them. However, a few pupils are not confident that staff listen and take effective action if they have concerns. The youngest pupils feel a sense of positivity and love for their school experience. This is not as consistently strong for older pupils.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Children in Reception benefit from a strong start to school. The curriculum is well designed to provide them with essential knowledge that helps to prepare them for Year 1. Pupils demonstrate high-quality listening and attention skills. They communicate with adults and peers effectively. They understand how to behave and collaborate well to solve tasks. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified and supported. As a result, children's attitudes to learning are highly positive.
The curriculum in the rest of the school is ambitious but of mixed quality. In reading, mathematics and a few other subjects, there is a sequenced curriculum to develop pupils' knowledge. In music, pupils sequentially develop their understanding of important concepts such as timbre from Reception onwards. In other foundation subjects, the key knowledge is not fully identified and so the progression of learning is not coherent. This means that pupils' achievement over time is variable.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Personal development, Early years.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
9.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 72% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 60% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.7
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Leechpool Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Leechpool Primary School.
- Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery & After School ClubAt the school · Ofsted: Good
Term dates
Leechpool Primary School is a community 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Leechpool Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Leechpool 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 Leechpool Primary School
Will you get a place at Leechpool Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Leechpool Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Leechpool Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Leechpool Primary School.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Leechpool Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Leechpool 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
99%
Near capacity
417 pupils
420 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Horsham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Horsham
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(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
22.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
409
Total Pupils
220
Boys
189
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,776
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,048
Per pupil
£2294k
Total funding
£65k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
7.7%
Persistent absence
362
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Leechpool Primary School
Questions parents ask about Leechpool Primary School
What are SATs results like at Leechpool Primary School?
Of the pupils at Leechpool Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Leechpool Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Leechpool Primary School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Leechpool Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Leechpool 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 Leechpool Primary School?
Leechpool Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Leechpool Primary School?
Classes at Leechpool Primary School average 28.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Leechpool Primary School?
Leechpool Primary School has around 409 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Leechpool Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Leechpool Primary School in 2024/25. 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Leechpool Primary School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Leechpool 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 Leechpool Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery & After School Club (rated Good by Ofsted). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Leechpool Primary School's term dates?
Leechpool Primary School is a community 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 Leechpool Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 16 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Leechpool Primary School?
Leechpool Primary School is at Leechpool Lane, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6AG.
Sources: West Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)