School profile

William Penn School

Primary · Voluntary controlled school · Horsham, RH13 8GR

Requires improvement

Map showing William Penn School

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

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#7,758 of 15,057

Similar to most schools in England

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

William Penn School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 9 Jul 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeVoluntary controlled school
Ages4 to 11
Pupils84
GenderMixed
Religious characterQuaker
Head teacherMr Colin Brookes
Local authorityWest Sussex
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 126002.

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 maths64%, similar to 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.0%, worse than England, worse than West Sussex6%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to West Sussex106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105, similar to England, similar to West Sussex104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103, worse than England, similar to West Sussex104105
Expected standard in reading82%, better than England, better than West Sussex76%76%
Expected standard in writing64%, worse than England, worse than West Sussex71%73%
Expected standard in maths73%, similar to England, similar to West Sussex73%75%
Pupils taking tests11--

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

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils84
Girls40
Boys44
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.11.9%
First language not English1.2%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.105
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.20%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.15
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.3
Average class size21

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
86.9%
Traveller of Irish heritage
3.6%
White and Asian
3.6%
Other mixed
3.6%
Other White
1.2%
White and Black Caribbean
1.2%
Irish
0%
Gypsy/Roma
0%
White and Black African
0%
Indian
0%

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 teacher15
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.8.3
Teachers (FTE)5.6
Teaching assistants (FTE)3.61
Support staff (FTE)5.88
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/256.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/254.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252

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.9
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.34
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.9
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.9
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 absence5.3%, similar to England, similar to West Sussex5.1%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.11%, better than England, similar to 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 rate2.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions2.5%
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 William Penn School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
1.5 miPrimaryShipley CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about William Penn School

What is William Penn School's Ofsted rating?

William Penn School is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 9 Jul 2024.

How does William Penn School rank in England?

William Penn School ranks 7,758 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are William Penn School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 64% of pupils at William Penn School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into William Penn School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, William Penn School made 9 offers from 34 applications (3.8 per offer), and 9 of 9 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend William Penn School?

William Penn School has 84 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of William Penn School?

William Penn School had 105 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at William Penn School?

At William Penn School, the average class had 21 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at William Penn School?

In 2025/26, pupils at William Penn School missed 5.3% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 11% 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.