Western Road Community Primary School, Lewes
Western Road Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Lewes, part of The Lewes Co-operative Learning Partnership. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 13 schools in Lewes with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 75 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Western Road Community Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Western Road Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in East Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Western Road Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Western Road Community Primary School as their first choice and 67 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 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 Western Road Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Western Road Community Primary School are Southover CofE Primary School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 60% maths); Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School (0.8 miles, Good, 65% reading, 67% maths); South Malling CofE Primary and Nursery School (1 mile, Good, 90% reading, 73% maths); and Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 81% maths).
Western Road Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Southover CofE Primary SchoolWallands Community Primary and Nursery SchoolSouth Malling CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolIford and Kingston Church of England Primary School
The trust
Western Road Community Primary School is one of 2 schools run by The Lewes Co-operative Learning Partnership, an academy trust.
All 2 schools in The Lewes Co-operative Learning Partnership
What parents say
93 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Western Road Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 90% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (90%).
Who goes there
6.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (11%).
In 2026, 23 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 6 (2.8%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lewes Rail Station, about 500 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Kings Head (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 135 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Western Road Community Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 3.8 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 March 2012, 14 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
Western Road creates a happy, welcoming environment where children thrive academically and socially. The school excels at teaching reading through consistent phonics and provides excellent support for all learners, including those with special needs. Staff have high ambitions for every pupil and deliver a broad curriculum with exciting outdoor learning and enrichment activities.
Key Strengths
- Wide and varied curriculum that excites pupils and builds knowledge steadily over time -
- Strong focus on reading with consistent phonics teaching and targeted support for pupils who need extra help -
- Excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs, with appropriate adaptations and specialist training for staff -
- Positive behaviour across the school with a calm, focused learning environment -
- Strong community links with regular visitors and enrichment activities that broaden pupils' experiences
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, pupils have limited opportunities to practically apply and use the knowledge they have already learned -
- Variability in how well pupils develop age-appropriate understanding of British values and protected characteristics -
- Need to strengthen pupils' knowledge of other faiths and cultures to better prepare them for life in modern Britain
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong systems in place and pupils feeling safe and knowing whom to report concerns to.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs and activities, Muddy Mondays in early years, regular outdoor learning, career visitors, local history and traditions visitors
Western Road Community Primary School is a welcoming primary school where pupils are very happy and engaged in learning. The school has a thoughtful, well-sequenced curriculum and strong achievement in national assessments, with all key areas of education rated Good.
At a Glance
6.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
93 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 remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 90% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.0
Avg class size
31.0
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Western Road Community Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Western Road Community Primary School.
- The Outdoors Project at Western Road Community Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
- Junior Adventures Group @ SouthoverAt the school · Not yet graded
- The Outdoors Project at The Paddock420m away · Not yet graded
Nurseries
The Outdoors Project at Western Road Community Primary School is at Western Road Community Primary School.
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Western Road Community Primary School, with their latest published grades:
- Southover Nursery School - Pre-school, under 0.1 milesOfsted, 17 June 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Busy Bees Day Nursery at Lewes - Day nursery, under 0.1 milesOfsted report card, 12 December 2025: Strong standard in 2 areas, Expected standard in 4 areas; safeguarding standards met
- The Old School House Montessori Nursery - Day nursery, 0.3 milesOfsted, 7 September 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- NatureKids - Quaker Meeting House Lewes - Pre-school, 0.5 miles
- Cottage Pre-School - Pre-school, 0.7 milesOfsted, 28 January 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Term dates
Western Road Community Primary School is a foundation school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see East Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Western Road Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Western Road Community Primary School is in East Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to East 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
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Western Road Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Western Road Community Primary School?
For 2026 entry it had 19 first choices for 24 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
211 pupils
210 places
1 pupil over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,501
Applications
4,559
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the Lewes Town and Surrounding Primary planning area (East Sussex) will have 409 spare primary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
13.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
214
Total Pupils
109
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,368
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,978
Per pupil
£1141k
Total funding
£23k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
9.6%
Persistent absence
187
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
Western Road Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Western Road Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Western Road Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Western Road Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Western Road Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Western Road Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in March 2012, it was rated Good.
Is it hard to get a place at Western Road Community Primary School?
Western Road Community Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Western Road Community Primary School?
Classes at Western Road Community Primary School average 31 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils.
How many pupils go to Western Road Community Primary School?
Western Road Community Primary School has around 214 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Western Road Community Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Western Road Community Primary School in 2024/25. 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent.
Does Western Road Community 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 at Western Road Community Primary School (registered, not yet graded) and Junior Adventures Group @ Southover (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre.
How many road collisions happen near Western Road Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Western Road Community Primary School?
Western Road Community Primary School is at Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)