St Mark's CofE Primary School, Brighton
St Mark's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Brighton. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 36th-highest of the 36 schools in Brighton with published results, and 14,146th of 14,452 across England. It was 79% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- 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 Brighton and Hove (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mark's CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils at St Mark's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 42% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 69% in Brighton and Hove and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 59% in reading and 48% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mark's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 13 families put St Mark's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 45 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 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 St Mark's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mark's CofE Primary School are St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 77% reading, 57% maths); City Academy Whitehawk (0.4 miles, Good, 70% reading, 65% maths); St Luke's Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 73% maths); and Queen's Park Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 57% reading, 47% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Mark's CofE Primary School.
St John the Baptist Catholic Primary SchoolCity Academy WhitehawkSt Luke's Primary SchoolQueen's Park Primary School
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mark's CofE Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 88% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (88%).
Who goes there
60.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Asian (22%) and other ethnic groups (11%).
In 2026, 47 pupils (30.1%) received SEN support and 15 (9.6%) 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 autism. The school has a SEN unit for pupils with particular needs.
Staffing
St Mark's CofE Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brighton Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Manor Gardens (adjacent), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Mark's CofE Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mark's CofE Primary School issued 22 suspensions, 14.1 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mark's is a caring, inclusive school that truly goes above and beyond to support every child, especially those facing challenges. Teachers deliver high-quality lessons across a broad range of subjects, and the school creates endless opportunities for children to develop their talents and build confidence. The school's commitment to celebrating diversity and supporting vulnerable families creates a warm, welcoming community where all pupils thrive.
Key Strengths
- Excellent phonics teaching and early reading across the school with consistent staff strategies
- Outstanding personal development and pastoral care, including mental health support through art therapy and counselling
- Strong curriculum across subjects like history and art where pupils learn to make impressive comparisons and use subject-specific language
- Exceptional support for disadvantaged pupils and families, including refugees, with innovative projects like the 'Roots' initiative
- Rich opportunities in sport, music, performance and enrichment through school partnerships
Areas for Improvement
- Writing skills need strengthening - pupils struggle to produce longer pieces with accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Pupil absence rates remain too high despite pastoral efforts, meaning some pupils miss valuable learning and development opportunities
- Mathematics outcomes require continued focus to build on recent improvements
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with strong systems in place and school culture prioritising pupils' safety and interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Sport, music, performance opportunities, science enrichment, language programmes, theatre, art therapy, counselling
St Mark's CofE Primary School is a joyful, inclusive and nurturing community where pupils feel safe and valued. The school has improved significantly since its last inspection, with good quality education across a broad curriculum and outstanding personal development.
At a Glance
60.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 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 59% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 48% to 42% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 52% to 46% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.5
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
17.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mark's CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
St Mark's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Brighton and Hove
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Mark's CofE Primary School.
- Pied Piper Brighton College380m away · Not yet graded
- VIM Clubs430m away · Not yet graded
- ActiveMe 360 CIC @ City Academy Whitehawk590m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mark's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mark's CofE Primary School is in Brighton and Hove; for families living there:
Apply to Brighton and Hove for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 80
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 23
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 80 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 57 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 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 St Mark's CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mark's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mark's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mark's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mark's CofE Primary School.
- Brighton and Hove publishes last distance offered figures, but none for St Mark's CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mark's CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Brighton and Hove 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
79%
Available places
165 pupils
210 places
45 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Brighton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brighton
Across Brighton and Hove council
Places available
2,430
Applications
1,936
Got 1st preference
93.8%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Brighton and Hove council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
39.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
156
Total Pupils
78
Boys
78
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
13.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,867
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,289
Per pupil
£1313k
Total funding
£133k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.4%
Overall absence
24.2%
Persistent absence
161
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Mark's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mark's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mark's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 50% reached the expected standard in reading and 42% did so in maths.
What is St Mark's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mark's CofE Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Mark's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mark's CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Brighton and Hove allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mark's CofE Primary School?
St Mark's CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 79% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Mark's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Mark's CofE Primary School average 18.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mark's CofE Primary School?
St Mark's CofE Primary School has around 156 pupils on roll. 61% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mark's CofE Primary School?
8.4% of sessions were missed at St Mark's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 24.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mark's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Brighton and Hove's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mark's CofE 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 St Mark's CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Mark's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Mark's CofE Primary School: Pied Piper Brighton College (380m away, registered, not yet graded), VIM Clubs (430m away, registered, not yet graded) and ActiveMe 360 CIC @ City Academy Whitehawk (590m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Mark's CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 80 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 23 serious and 57 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 Brighton and Hove is 40.5 (the median across 82 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mark's CofE Primary School?
St Mark's CofE Primary School is at Manor Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5EA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)