St Anthony's School, Chichester
St Anthony's School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 16 in Chichester. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Anthony's School in detail
St Anthony's School in its own words
In its own words: "St. Anthony’s is an outstanding day Special School, maintained by West Sussex County Council. The school caters for boys and girls aged 5-16. Currently we have 265 pupils on roll. All pupils admitted to St. Anthony’s School must have an Education, Health and Care Plan Statement. We have pupils with a range of learning, medical or language difficulties."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cricket, basketball, swimming, dance, Lego and art.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 28 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college.
Who goes there
41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 10.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Anthony's School has an education, health and care plan (254 of 254 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Anthony's School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chichester Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
22 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Little Breach Central (opp 119), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Anthony's 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.
In August 2026, police recorded 407 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. 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, St Anthony's School issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
41.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD, Speech and language, Autism +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from St Anthony's School
From St Anthony's School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Anthony's School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Anthony's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Anthony's 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
7 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
Capacity & Demand
Area Demand Pressure - Chichester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chichester
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
254
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Anthony's School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
254
Total Pupils
182
Boys
72
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,499
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.7%
Overall absence
33.9%
Persistent absence
239
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Anthony's School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Anthony's School
What are GCSE results like at St Anthony's School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Anthony's School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Anthony's School's Ofsted rating?
St Anthony's School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for St Anthony's School?
No fixed boundary. When St Anthony's School is oversubscribed, West Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Anthony's School?
St Anthony's School has around 254 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Anthony's School have specialist SEN provision?
St Anthony's School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at St Anthony's School?
10.7% of sessions were missed at St Anthony's School in 2024/25. 33.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Anthony's School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Anthony's School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near St Anthony's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 1 serious and 15 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 7 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 St Anthony's School?
St Anthony's School is at Woodlands Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 5PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)