Southwater Infant Academy, Horsham

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Southwater Infant Academy on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "In recent years, leaders identified a gap between pupils' attainment in writing and their outcomes in reading and mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "High attendance is a consistent feature of the school and has remained securely above the national average over time."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders take a reflective and evaluative approach to curriculum development."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children in the early years demonstrate high levels of independence as they follow well-established routines."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have a detailed understanding of pupils' needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have embedded a clear and systematic approach to evaluating the performance of the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is underpinned by its values of kindness, respect and honesty."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should refine how they identify and address gaps across all areas of learning in the early years, so that they inform purposeful staff interactions, including for disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should strengthen their inclusive practice by reviewing the impact of their actions on pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that effective adaptive approaches routinely seen in core subjects are systematically applied across the wider curriculum".

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The school runs after-school care.

Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 10 November 2026, an admissions event on Thursday 19 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026 and an admissions event on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

For September 2026 entry, 62 families put Southwater Infant Academy as their first choice and 102 named it as one of their preferences, for 66 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 Southwater Infant Academy are Southwater Junior Academy (under 0.1 miles, Good, 84% reading, 80% maths); Castlewood Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Barns Green Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 95% reading, 100% maths); and St Andrew's CofE Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 88% reading, 94% maths).

Southwater Infant Academy is run by its own single-school academy trust.

4.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 21 pupils (9.1%) received SEN support and 9 (3.9%) 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.

Southwater Infant Academy had 19 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Christs Hospital Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Southwater Junior Academy (opposite), 130 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Southwater Infant Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 32 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).

In 2024/25, Southwater Infant Academy issued 35 suspensions, 13.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.