School profile

Handcross Primary School

Primary · Community school · Haywards Heath, RH17 6HB

Good

Map showing Handcross Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#2,097 of 15,057

Better than 86% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Handcross Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 15 Jan 2014

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages2 to 11
Pupils238
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Sharon Bondonno
Local authorityWest Sussex
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 125932.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolWest SussexEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%, better than England, better than West Sussex60%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.14%, better than England, better than West Sussex6%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, similar to England, similar to West Sussex106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, better than West Sussex104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107, better than England, better than West Sussex104105
Expected standard in reading90%, better than England, better than West Sussex76%76%
Expected standard in writing83%, better than England, better than West Sussex71%73%
Expected standard in maths90%, better than England, better than West Sussex73%75%
Pupils taking tests29--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils238
Girls109
Boys129
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.12.6%
First language not English11.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.240
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.205
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.14.6%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.33
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.10
Average class size26.4

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
75.6%
Other White
7.6%
Other mixed
5%
White and Black Caribbean
2.1%
White and Black African
2.1%
White and Asian
1.7%
Indian
1.3%
Pakistani
1.3%
Other Asian
0.4%
African
0.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.9
Teachers (FTE)10.9
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.7
Support staff (FTE)17.05
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/259.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/258.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.29
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.80
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.34
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.26
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWest SussexEngland
Overall absence3.7%, better than England, better than West Sussex5.1%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.7.2%, better than England, better than West Sussex12.6%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England, better than West Sussex1%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Handcross Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miNot applicableBrighton College Prep HandcrossOther independent school
Unrated
1.7 miPrimarySt. Mark's CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.7 miPrimaryWoodgate Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Handcross Primary School

What is Handcross Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Handcross Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 15 Jan 2014.

How does Handcross Primary School rank in England?

Handcross Primary School ranks 2,097 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 86% of schools).

What are Handcross Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 79% of pupils at Handcross Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Handcross Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Handcross Primary School made 29 offers from 80 applications (2.8 per offer), and 26 of 34 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Handcross Primary School?

Handcross Primary School has 238 pupils aged 2 to 11.

What is the capacity of Handcross Primary School?

Handcross Primary School had 240 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Handcross Primary School?

At Handcross Primary School, the average class had 26.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Handcross Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Handcross Primary School missed 3.7% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 7.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.