The Mill Primary Academy, Crawley

Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~435m)Possible (~622m)Unlikely (~809m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Sophie Gosden
Pupils:531 / 630 capacity
LA:West Sussex
Phone:01293571893
Address:Ifield Drive, Ifield, Crawley, RH11 0EL
Trust:THE KEMNAL ACADEMIES TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2013

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 5 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 21 April 2026View full report
URN:139958
UKPRN:10042712
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Crawley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This caring school excels at creating a warm, welcoming community where pupils feel supported and included. Strong pastoral care and family support help pupils from all backgrounds thrive, with high attendance and positive behaviour. The school's excellent approach to writing and reading helps pupils develop ambitious language skills, and enriching outdoor learning experiences nurture children's talents and confidence.

Key Strengths

  • High attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2, including for disadvantaged pupils
  • Strong approach to writing that helps pupils use ambitious language and explain their ideas clearly
  • Effective phonics provision and daily whole-school reading
  • Excellent pastoral support and attendance - pupils arrive calm, happy and ready to learn
  • Safe, joyful social times with cooperative behaviour and positive interactions

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent support for pupils with special educational needs - some receive effective help while others do not get the adaptations they need
  • Gaps in teaching consistency, particularly in mathematics where some pupils show gaps in prior knowledge
  • Feedback on spelling, grammar and handwriting errors is not consistently addressed, leading to repeated mistakes
  • Leaders lack rigorous oversight of inclusion and provision for pupils with SEND
  • Pupils' understanding of British values is superficial rather than secure

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Forest school, physical education, after-school clubs, holiday clubs, trips, sports, music experiences, outdoor learning

The Mill Primary Academy is an expected standard school where many pupils achieve well, particularly in reading and writing at key stage 2. The school provides a warm, welcoming environment with strong pastoral support, though there are areas needing improvement in inclusion and consistency of teaching.

At a Glance

24.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-1ppMaths-4ppWriting-3pp

Reading has remained stable at around 86%. Maths has declined from 87% to 83%. Writing has remained stable at around 85%.

Class Sizes

27.0

Avg class size

27.4

Infant (KS1)

26.7

KS2

17

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Ifield Rail Station
165m · 3 min walk

Bus Stops

Ifield Station (adj)
14m · 0 min walk
Tangmere Road (NW-bound)
136m · 2 min walk
Shipley Road (adj)
246m · 4 min walk
Hazelwood (adj)
378m · 6 min walk
Nurserylands (adj)
455m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

84%

Available places

531 pupils

630 capacity

99 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Crawley

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,505
Projected new pupils:626

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Crawley

Admissions Demand - West Sussex

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

9,817

Applications

8,398

Got 1st preference

91.7%

Got preferred school

98.8%

Primary admissions across West Sussex (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

21 April 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
25 May 2021
25 May 2016
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.85713%

Overall absence

10.10309%

Persistent absence

485

Enrolments

Authorised3.41205%
Unauthorised1.44509%
Persistent (10%+)10.10309%
Severe (50%+)0.82474%

Absence trend

4.97025%
18/19
3.40731%
20/21
7.95829%
21/22
6.29123%
22/23
5.02387%
23/24
4.85713%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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