Upper Beeding Primary School, Steyning
Upper Beeding Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Steyning. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 77th-highest of the 193 schools in West Sussex with published results, and 6,834th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Upper Beeding Primary School in detail
Upper Beeding Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "At Upper Beeding Primary School, we believe in creating a place where children can learn, grow, and have fun together. Our vision is to be a school where teamwork, kindness, curiosity, and creativity are valued and celebrated every day. Teamwork is important to us because we know that when we work together, we can achieve amazing things."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Upper Beeding Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 58% in reading and 60% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Upper Beeding Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 44 families put Upper Beeding Primary School as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 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 Upper Beeding Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Upper Beeding Primary School are Steyning CofE Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 76% maths); North Lancing Primary School (3.2 miles, Good, 62% reading, 60% maths); Ashurst CofE Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths); and Buckingham Park Primary School (3.5 miles, Good, 75% reading, 73% maths).
Upper Beeding Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Steyning CofE Primary SchoolNorth Lancing Primary SchoolAshurst CofE Primary SchoolBuckingham Park Primary School
What parents say
95 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Upper Beeding Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 79% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (79%).
Who goes there
11.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Upper Beeding Primary School.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Kings Head (opposite), 330 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, other theft and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Upper Beeding Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.7 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; 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 July 2015, 11 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
Upper Beeding Primary creates a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive both academically and personally. The school excels at teaching reading through skilled phonics instruction and provides exceptional early years education. Staff support all learners well, including those with additional needs, ensuring every child has equal opportunity to succeed.
Key Strengths
- Early years provision is exceptional with strong focus on personal, social and emotional development
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading support ensure pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Quick response to mathematics results with decisive action leading to improved pupil progress
- Strong support for pupils with SEND using external agencies effectively
- Warm, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils creating a calm learning environment
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, the school has not clearly identified the important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn, meaning pupils do not build their knowledge as securely over time
- Curriculum delivery needs to be more consistent across all subjects to ensure pupils deepen their learning effectively
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting activities, visits, residential trips, musical instrument learning (guitar and keyboard), performances in London
Upper Beeding Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils are happy, safe and proud to attend. The school has high expectations for all pupils and delivers an ambitious curriculum effectively in most subjects.
At a Glance
11.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
95 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 improved from 58% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 60% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
9
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Upper Beeding Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Upper Beeding Primary School.
- The Outdoors Project After School Club At Upper Beeding Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- The Hive SussexAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Upper Beeding Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by West Sussex. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Upper Beeding Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Upper Beeding 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Upper Beeding Primary School
Will you get a place at Upper Beeding Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Upper Beeding Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Upper Beeding Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Upper Beeding Primary School.
- West Sussex publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Upper Beeding Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Upper Beeding 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
304 pupils
345 places
41 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Steyning
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Steyning
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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
20.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
298
Total Pupils
151
Boys
147
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
18.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,899
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,090
Per pupil
£1683k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
7.2%
Persistent absence
263
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
Upper Beeding Primary School
Questions parents ask about Upper Beeding Primary School
What are SATs results like at Upper Beeding Primary School?
Of the pupils at Upper Beeding Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Upper Beeding Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Upper Beeding Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Upper Beeding Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Upper Beeding 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 Upper Beeding Primary School?
Upper Beeding Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 345 places.
How big are the classes at Upper Beeding Primary School?
Classes at Upper Beeding Primary School average 28.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Upper Beeding Primary School?
Upper Beeding Primary School has around 298 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Upper Beeding Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Upper Beeding Primary School in 2024/25. 7.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Upper Beeding Primary School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Upper Beeding 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 Upper Beeding Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: The Outdoors Project After School Club At Upper Beeding Primary School (registered, not yet graded) and The Hive Sussex (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Upper Beeding Primary School's term dates?
Upper Beeding Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by West Sussex. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Upper Beeding Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Upper Beeding Primary School?
Upper Beeding Primary School is at School Road, Upper Beeding, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3HY.
Sources: West Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)