The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
Coldean Primary School serves families in Coldean, Brighton, with a mix of nursery and primary provision from age 3 to 11, and a clear emphasis on early years foundations. The most recent Ofsted inspection (6 December 2022) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding grades for Early years provision and Personal development.
The headline academic picture at key stage 2 is slightly mixed, but generally positive. In 2024, 68.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, above the England average of 62%. The reading scaled score was 105 and grammar, punctuation and spelling was 104, both above the typical England benchmark of 100, while maths was 101.
This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras, including uniform, trips and optional clubs.
Coldean’s written ethos centres on “learning together, inspiring each other”, and that tone shows through in the way the school presents itself, as a place that aims to educate the whole child, build confidence, and recognise individual strengths.
The leadership story is unusually stable for a city primary. The school’s published governor information indicates Stuart McConnachie has been headteacher since 01 September 2009. Long tenures tend to matter in primaries because they usually correlate with consistent routines, consistent expectations, and fewer whiplash policy shifts for families.
Safeguarding information is clearly signposted, including named designated safeguarding leads. This is helpful for parents who want clarity on who holds responsibility and how concerns are handled.
Nursery provision is a meaningful part of the school, not an afterthought. The nursery page sets out funded entitlement routes and session structure, including a 9:00 to 15:00 day for the 30 hour model in term time, plus a 15 hour pattern across the week. The nursery is also described as having I CAN accreditation, which points to a deliberate focus on communication and language development in the early years.
For families choosing a school partly on early years quality, that combination, a clear funded offer, a full school day option for working parents, and an explicit language focus, is a practical marker of intent.
Coldean is a primary school, so the core academic datapoint for most parents is key stage 2 performance at the end of Year 6.
In 2024, 68.67% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 15.67% reached greater depth across reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%.
Scaled scores give a little more texture. The average scaled score in reading was 105, maths was 101, and grammar, punctuation and spelling was 104. In plain terms, that points to reading and GPS as relative strengths, with maths closer to national norms.
On FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking, Coldean is ranked 10,589th in England and 25th in Brighton. This sits below England average overall, within the lower performance band on that ranking system.
Parents should treat that as a directional signal, rather than a complete verdict. City primaries can see cohort variation, and the school’s KS2 headline percentage is above the England average in the most recent data. The most sensible approach is to triangulate, look at the KS2 detail, look at early years quality, and then consider whether the school’s approach fits your child.
Families comparing local options can use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to view KS2 measures side by side, and to sanity check whether your shortlist is driven by outcomes, pastoral priorities, or practicalities like wraparound care.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
Reading, Writing & Maths
68.67%
% of pupils achieving expected standard
What is clear is that early years is treated as a key pillar. Ofsted’s graded profile highlights Outstanding early years provision. In practice, that typically aligns with strong routines, communication rich classrooms, and careful transition into Reception, although parents should still ask directly how phonics is taught, how reading books are matched to ability, and what support looks like for children who need extra language input.
On the practical learning side, the school also signposts structured computing activities for younger pupils through its online learning materials, including early coding tasks. That matters because primary computing can otherwise become patchy, and early exposure helps some children build confidence with logic and sequencing, without any pressure to turn it into a specialist track.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
As a Brighton primary, most pupils will move on to local secondary schools through the Brighton and Hove coordinated admissions process. Coldean’s admissions page directs parents to Brighton and Hove City Council for Reception applications, which indicates the standard local authority route rather than a school run application system.
Parents thinking ahead to secondary transfer should consider travel time, friendship groups, and the likely allocation rules for your preferred secondaries. The council’s local admissions guidance and each secondary’s oversubscription rules are usually the most reliable sources for that planning.
The latest admissions demand snapshot available indicates 37 applications for 22 offers, which is about 1.68 applications per place, and an oversubscribed status. That is not extreme by city standards, but it does suggest that entry can be competitive, particularly for families outside the nearest streets.
Coldean’s admissions page explains that if the school has to decide between children in a priority group, distance to the school is used, with places going to those who live closest. That is the key practical implication for parents, proximity tends to matter.
Brighton and Hove’s published timeline for primary applications states that the deadline to apply for Reception entry for September 2026 is 15 January 2026. National Offer Day is 16 April 2026, when outcomes are communicated.
Open events vary year to year. If past open days, treat them as a pattern indicator rather than a current invitation. Many primaries run tours in the autumn term, so expect something broadly in that window, then confirm directly on the school’s pages.
Parents who are serious about admissions should use FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise home to school distance, particularly if distance is a tie break in the oversubscription criteria.
100%
1st preference success rate
21 of 21 first-choice applicants received an offer
Places
22
Offers
22
Applications
37
Pastoral systems are harder to evidence without direct published detail, but safeguarding leadership is clearly identified, including the designated safeguarding lead and deputy DSL roles. For parents, the practical question is how this translates day to day, how bullying incidents are logged, how concerns are escalated, and what support is available for children with anxiety, speech and language needs, or attendance challenges.
One useful indicator is the Ofsted grading profile, which includes Outstanding personal development. That tends to correlate with meaningful opportunities for responsibility, inclusive participation, and a coherent approach to relationships education and wider experiences. Parents should still ask what this looks like in weekly practice, for example pupil leadership roles, PSHE sequencing, and support for children who struggle with regulation.
This is an area where Coldean provides several concrete hooks.
The school’s PE and sport information highlights access to an on site swimming pool, with regular swimming lessons for Years 1 to 6 in the summer term. That is a material facility advantage in a primary context, because it can improve consistency of swimming instruction and reduce reliance on external travel.
The same page describes intra school house competitions including football, tag rugby, basketball, cycling and swimming, which suggests sport is structured and recurring rather than occasional. The implication for pupils is straightforward, frequent competition builds confidence, teamwork and resilience, including for children who are not naturally sporty but benefit from repeated low stakes exposure.
The school runs clubs on a termly basis, largely after school, with some before school or at lunchtime. Because that document is historical, treat it as an example of the sort of clubs the school has run, rather than a guaranteed current list, and check the latest term schedule.
Breakfast club starts at 8:00 and is priced at £2 per day, with simple breakfast choices and pre booking via ParentPay. For working families, this is often the difference between a manageable morning and a daily scramble, and for some pupils it also creates a calm transition into the school day.
The school day information indicates that Reception begins at 08:55, with the Reception entrance opening at 08:50. Nursery provision is described as running 09:00 to 15:00 for the 30 hour model during term time.
For transport, Coldean sits within Brighton, so most families will be looking at walkability, scooters, and short car journeys rather than rail commuting. Parking around primaries can be tight at drop off, so if you are visiting at peak time, factor in a few extra minutes to assess the immediate streets and your realistic daily route.
Academic profile is mixed by measure. KS2 outcomes in 2024 are above the England average on the combined expected standard, but the FindMySchool ranking position sits in the lower performance band nationally. This is a sign to look carefully at cohort trends and subject level detail, not to make a decision on one indicator alone.
Oversubscription is real. The admissions demand snapshot indicates more applications than offers, and the school’s admissions page is clear that distance can become the deciding factor within priority groups. Families outside the immediate area should plan with that in mind.
After school club detail is not fully published in the available sources. Breakfast club is clear, but after school provision appears to sit across termly clubs and local childcare arrangements. If you need guaranteed childcare until early evening, confirm specifics before relying on it.
Nursery structure is defined, but nursery fees should be checked on the official pages. The school sets out funded entitlement routes and hours, but families should confirm the most current arrangements and availability, especially for part time patterns.
Coldean Primary School has a clear strength in early years and personal development, backed by the most recent Ofsted grading profile, and it offers some concrete advantages that matter in daily life, including a defined nursery structure and an on site swimming pool. Academic results at key stage 2 are above England average on the main combined expected standard measure, but the wider ranking context is less flattering, so parents should do a careful fit check rather than assume a single narrative.
Who it suits: families in Coldean and nearby parts of Brighton who want a mainstream community primary with strong early years foundations, practical wraparound support via breakfast club, and structured sporting opportunities. The main constraint is likely to be admissions competitiveness for those living further away, where distance can matter.
It has a Good overall judgement from the most recent Ofsted inspection (6 December 2022), with Outstanding grades in early years provision and personal development. Key stage 2 outcomes in 2024 were above the England average on the combined expected standard measure, so the quality indicators are generally positive, particularly for early years and wider development.
Reception entry is coordinated by Brighton and Hove City Council, and the school’s admissions information indicates that when places have to be decided within a priority group, distance to the school is used, with places offered to those living closest. In practice, this means proximity is important, even if the council does not define a single hard catchment boundary in the way some areas do.
You apply through Brighton and Hove’s coordinated admissions process. The published deadline for on time primary applications is 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026. If you are considering the school, it is sensible to look for tour dates in the autumn term, then confirm the current schedule on the school website.
Yes. The school offers nursery provision and sets out routes for funded entitlement, including a term time 30 hour model for eligible working parents, plus a 15 hour offer. Availability and session patterns can change year to year, so confirm the latest details directly on the nursery pages.
Breakfast club is clearly described, starting at 8:00 and available to nursery through Year 6. After school opportunities include termly clubs, but if you need guaranteed childcare to a specific time each day, confirm the current after school arrangements directly before relying on them.
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
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