Northlands Wood Primary Academy, Haywards Heath
Northlands Wood Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Haywards Heath, part of Sussex Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 18 schools in Haywards Heath with published results, and 4,333rd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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
Northlands Wood Primary Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Northlands Wood Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 78% 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 79% in reading and 78% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Northlands Wood Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Northlands Wood Primary Academy as their first choice and 175 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Northlands Wood Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Northlands Wood Primary Academy are St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, 77% reading, 71% maths); Warden Park Primary Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 82% reading, 72% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 86% maths); and Blackthorns Community Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 93% reading, 93% maths).
Northlands Wood Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
St Wilfrid's CofE Primary SchoolWarden Park Primary AcademySt Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolBlackthorns Community Primary School
The trust
Northlands Wood Primary Academy is one of 7 schools run by Sussex Learning Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
119 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Northlands Wood Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Who goes there
11.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%), Asian (6%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Haywards Heath Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Grove (adjacent), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Northlands Wood Primary Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Northlands Wood Primary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 1.2 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from May 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Northlands Wood is a highly inclusive school where children thrive academically and personally. Your child will benefit from an ambitious curriculum, excellent outdoor learning through forest school, and a strong focus on reading and communication skills. The school has a real culture of kindness and fairness, with many leadership opportunities for pupils to develop confidence and responsibility.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, high-quality curriculum from early years to Year 6 that prepares pupils well for their next steps
- Excellent start in early years with independent learning and first-hand experiences in nature
- Strong phonics teaching with confident, skilled readers who enjoy a wide range of texts
- Impressive forest school sessions where pupils learn to assess and manage risk
- Inclusive ethos where pupils with special educational needs and disabilities have their needs accurately identified and supported
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils do not use appropriate punctuation and grammar in their written work - the school should continue to embed recent English curriculum changes and evaluate their impact
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong leadership and a positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
School clubs, trips, sporting events, flag football team, forest school sessions, school council, leadership roles in assemblies and playtime activities
Northlands Wood Primary Academy has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school is highly inclusive with pupils who are proud of their learning environment and behave well.
At a Glance
11.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
119 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 79% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 78% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 65% to 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
14
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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Northlands Wood Primary Academy.
- Holiday Heroes870m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Northlands Wood Primary Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see West Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Northlands Wood Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Northlands Wood Primary Academy 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Northlands Wood Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Northlands Wood Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Northlands Wood Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Northlands Wood Primary Academy.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Northlands Wood Primary Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Northlands Wood Primary Academy for 2017 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
414 pupils
420 places
6 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
74
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
21.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
419
Total Pupils
232
Boys
187
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,272
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2255k
Total funding
£77k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.2%
Overall absence
10.1%
Persistent absence
365
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
Northlands Wood Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Northlands Wood Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Northlands Wood Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 78% did so in maths.
What is Northlands Wood Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Northlands Wood Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Northlands Wood Primary Academy 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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Northlands Wood Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Classes at Northlands Wood Primary Academy average 29.9 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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Northlands Wood Primary Academy has around 419 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
5.2% of sessions were missed at Northlands Wood Primary Academy in 2024/25. 10.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Northlands Wood Primary Academy 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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Northlands Wood Primary Academy: Holiday Heroes (870m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Northlands Wood Primary Academy?
Northlands Wood Primary Academy is at Beech Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3RX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)