West Hove Infant School, Hove
West Hove Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Hove. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. It was 89% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
West Hove Infant School in detail
Getting a place at West Hove Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 130 families put West Hove Infant School as their first choice and 323 named it as one of their preferences, for 121 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at West Hove Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to West Hove Infant School are Hove Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 90% reading, 85% maths); Goldstone Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 78% maths); St Andrew's CofE (Aided) Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths); and Benfield Primary School (0.8 miles, 67% reading, 71% maths).
Hove Junior SchoolGoldstone Primary SchoolSt Andrew's CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolBenfield Primary School
What parents say
157 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about West Hove Infant School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
13.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 25.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (63%) and Mixed (14%).
In 2026, 53 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 13 (2.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Aldrington Rail Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School Road (opposite), 50 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, West Hove Infant School issued 2 suspensions, 0.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to West Hove Infant School are Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre (0.7 miles), Blatchington Mill School (0.9 miles) and King's School (1.4 miles).
Hove Park School and Sixth Form CentreBlatchington Mill SchoolKing's School
Sources: 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); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Brighton and Hove published that the last place for 2027 entry went to a family 1,690 metres away (straight line). The cut-off moves every year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2013, 12 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
West Hove Infant School excels at building confident, happy learners who feel known and valued. The school has a particular strength in teaching reading with expert coaching for all staff, ensuring children become fluent readers quickly. Children develop strong emotional skills and understanding of fairness, leaving them well-prepared and accepting of all differences.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional approach to reading with remarkable consistency across the school and strong support for pupils who read less frequently at home
- Pupils' behaviour, attitudes and respect are universally excellent with no lesson disruption
- Outstanding personal development programme helping pupils understand equality, kindness, spirituality and mental health strategies
- Highly effective systems for checking what pupils know and remember
- Strong focus on supporting pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils at the centre of all school efforts
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
West Hove Infant School is an outstanding school where pupils aspire to be their best and staff demonstrate exceptional care and high expectations. The school provides education of the highest quality with a methodical, well-planned curriculum from Reception onwards.
At a Glance
13.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
157 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
28.1
Infant (KS1)
12
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with West Hove Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near West Hove Infant School.
- The Skate Club - West HoveAt the school · Not yet graded
- art-K HoveAt the school · Not yet graded
- The Skate Club - Goldstone810m away · Not yet graded
- Art Of Dance860m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to West Hove Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. West Hove Infant 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
- 47
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 9
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 38 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
10 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 West Hove Infant School
Will you get a place at West Hove Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against West Hove Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for West Hove Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to West Hove Infant School.
- Last distance offered for 2027 entry, from Brighton and Hove's own figures, and how your distance compares each year.
- Applications, first choices and offers at West Hove Infant 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
89%
Available places
510 pupils
576 places
66 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hove
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hove
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
53
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
13.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
506
Total Pupils
251
Boys
255
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
19.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,071
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,271
Per pupil
£2934k
Total funding
£126k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
12.3%
Persistent absence
359
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
West Hove Infant School
Questions parents ask about West Hove Infant School
What is West Hove Infant School's Ofsted rating?
West Hove Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
How close to West Hove Infant School do you need to live?
Brighton and Hove published for September 2027 entry that the last place offered at West Hove Infant School on distance went to a family 1690 metres away. This is the authority's own figure for one year, not a fixed boundary - the cut-off moves with the number of applications, so treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Is it hard to get a place at West Hove Infant School?
West Hove Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 576 places.
How big are the classes at West Hove Infant School?
Classes at West Hove Infant School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to West Hove Infant School?
West Hove Infant School has around 506 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at West Hove Infant School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at West Hove Infant School in 2024/25. 12.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to West Hove Infant School?
Apply through Brighton and Hove's coordinated admissions process, naming West Hove Infant 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 West Hove Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: The Skate Club - West Hove (registered, not yet graded) and art-K Hove (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near West Hove Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 9 serious and 38 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 10 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 West Hove Infant School?
West Hove Infant School is at Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 5JA.
Sources: Brighton and Hove admissions booklet; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)