River Beach Primary School, Littlehampton
River Beach Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Littlehampton, part of Schoolsworks Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 9 schools in Littlehampton with published results, and 10,901st of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 West Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
River Beach Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at River Beach Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 73% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at River Beach Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 65 families put River Beach Primary School as their first choice and 140 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 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 River Beach Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to River Beach Primary School are White Meadows Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 77% maths); St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Littlehampton (0.4 miles); Lyminster Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 59% reading, 59% maths); and Rustington Community Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 74% reading, 70% maths).
River Beach Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
White Meadows Primary AcademySt Catherine's Catholic Primary School, LittlehamptonLyminster Primary SchoolRustington Community Primary School
The trust
River Beach Primary School is one of 11 schools run by Schoolsworks Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
78 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about River Beach Primary School (as of September 2025): 82% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
River Beach Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Littlehampton Rail Station, about 300 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St James Church (opposite), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood River Beach Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 336 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, River Beach Primary School issued 23 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
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; 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
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 agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
River Beach is a calm, orderly place where children are enthusiastic learners who love reading and feel valued as individuals. The school has high expectations for all pupils including those with SEND, and provides enriching experiences in arts and culture that help children understand and celebrate different ways of life. Staff are well-supported and retained, creating a stable environment where pupils develop strong personal responsibility and respect for each other.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious and balanced curriculum with seamless progression of knowledge from Nursery to Year 6, including strong support for pupils with SEND
- Reading is a particular strength with expertly supported phonics teaching and a buzz of reading activities throughout the school
- High-quality professional development for staff with effective systems for checking teaching quality and pupil achievement
- Positive behaviour and attitudes to learning, with pupils being respectful, purposeful and managing their own behaviour well
- Rich arts and culture curriculum that broadens pupils' horizons and helps them celebrate differences
Areas for Improvement
- In Reception and Nursery years, some aspects of the curriculum are not delivered as effectively as others, particularly language development and children's concentration skills
- Early years staff need better knowledge and skills to consistently support children's language development and attention to learning
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Wide range of clubs and experiences, school library activities, trips
River Beach Primary School is a good primary school where pupils flourish in an environment of care and aspiration. The school has high ambitions for pupils' achievements and behaviour, with pupils rising to meet these expectations.
At a Glance
26.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Hearing
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
78 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 declined from 73% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 84% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 75% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.3
Avg class size
29.1
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
24
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 River Beach Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near River Beach Primary School.
- Littlehampton BeachstarsAt the school · Not yet graded
- Good Ground Site 1580m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
River Beach Primary School 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to River Beach Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. River Beach 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
- 57
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 13
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 57 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 41 slight.
13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 River Beach Primary School
Will you get a place at River Beach Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against River Beach Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for River Beach Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to River Beach Primary School.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for River Beach Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at River Beach 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
88%
Available places
640 pupils
724 places
84 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Littlehampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Littlehampton
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
88
SEN Support
26
EHC Plans
17.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
River Beach Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
665
Total Pupils
338
Boys
327
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
20.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,139
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,143
Per pupil
£3761k
Total funding
£256k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
19.5%
Persistent absence
570
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
River Beach Primary School
Questions parents ask about River Beach Primary School
What are SATs results like at River Beach Primary School?
Of the pupils at River Beach Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is River Beach Primary School's Ofsted rating?
River Beach Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for River Beach Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When River Beach 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 River Beach Primary School?
River Beach Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 724 places.
How big are the classes at River Beach Primary School?
Classes at River Beach Primary School average 27.3 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 River Beach Primary School?
River Beach Primary School has around 665 pupils on roll. 26% are eligible for free school meals.
Does River Beach Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
River Beach Primary School has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 3 places, 3 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at River Beach Primary School?
7% of sessions were missed at River Beach Primary School in 2024/25. 19.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to River Beach Primary School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming River Beach 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 River Beach Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Littlehampton Beachstars (registered, not yet graded). There is another 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 River Beach 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: none fatal, 16 serious and 41 slight. 13 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 5 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 5 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 River Beach Primary School?
River Beach Primary School is at York Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)