Kingslea Primary School Review 2026: High-performing, values-led primary in central Horsham

Kingslea Primary School is a two-form entry community primary (ages 4 to 11) serving families around Horsham town centre, with a scale that supports breadth without losing day-to-day structure. Opened in September 2006, it has built a clear identity around its Core 4 values, Respect, Perseverance, Creativity and Collaboration.

Academically, the headline is Key Stage 2 performance. In 2024, 92.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 37% reached greater depth, against an England average of 8%. The school ranks 192nd in England for primary performance and 1st locally in Horsham (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data).

Demand is also part of the story. Reception entry is oversubscribed, with 258 applications for 59 offers in the latest published admissions demand snapshot, roughly 4.37 applications per place.

The culture at Kingslea is built around high expectations and kindness, with an explicit values framework that is used as a shared language for behaviour, relationships, and pupils’ personal development. The Core 4 values are presented as a practical foundation for how pupils learn and work together, rather than as a poster exercise.

Leadership is stable and visible. Mr Alexis Conway has been headteacher since September 2015, and his communications emphasise a community-first tone and pride in pupils’ achievements and opportunities.

The most recent inspection evidence points to a school where pupils feel safe, trust adults, and experience calm, purposeful behaviour in lessons, with personal development treated as a strength rather than an add-on. Pupils are also encouraged to contribute to school life through roles and responsibility, including play leaders and pupil governors, which aligns closely with the school’s stated approach to developing confidence and character.

There is also a strong inclusion narrative. The school publishes a whole-school provision map that sets out classroom strategies and targeted interventions, including ELSA, nurture group support, Lego Therapy, and access to an onsite counsellor, alongside clear routines and practical adjustments designed to help pupils regulate and learn well.

For a state primary, Kingslea’s performance profile is unusually strong.

In 2024, 92.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, well above the England average of 62%. Science is similarly strong, with 97% meeting the expected standard, matching the 97% figure recorded for the school’s wider combined measures in the same period.

The higher standard data is also meaningful. 37% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. That matters because it suggests the school is not only securing the baseline but also stretching a sizeable proportion of pupils into greater depth.

FindMySchool’s ranking places Kingslea 192nd in England for primary performance and 1st in Horsham locally. This positioning sits among the highest-performing primary schools in England (top 2%), which, for parents, typically means a consistently high proportion of pupils leave Year 6 with strong foundational literacy and numeracy.

Admissions pressure reinforces that this is widely recognised as a high-demand option. The most recent demand snapshot shows 258 applications for 59 offers at the primary entry point, a subscription proportion of 4.37, and a first-preference pressure ratio of 1.71.

Parents comparing options locally can use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and the comparison tools to view Kingslea’s outcomes alongside other Horsham primaries, using the same methodology and official-data basis.

Kingslea frames its curriculum as knowledge-engaged, combining knowledge and skills explicitly rather than treating them as separate. A distinctive feature is the “Learning Journeys” structure across the year, designed around geography, history and science themes, and linked closely to English and mathematics where appropriate. The school describes this as fluid within coverage, allowing adaptation to events and staff expertise while keeping a coherent progression.

Early reading is treated as a school-wide priority, with clear expectations about daily reading practice and structured support when pupils fall behind. The inspection evidence reflects a strong start in Reception and an emphasis on getting pupils reading quickly, supported by staff training expectations for phonics delivery.

Mathematics is approached with a clear readiness-for-next-steps emphasis, with the school describing its intent as producing confident mathematicians prepared for secondary transition. In practice, this is supported by the published provision map, which sets out strategies like retrieval practice, conceptual variation in maths, pre-teaching of subject vocabulary, scaffolds for writing, and structured routines. The intervention list also references programmes and tools such as TT Rockstars and Numbots.

Languages add another layer of breadth. The school states that Spanish is taught in Years 3 to 5, with Mandarin in Year 6. For families, that is a meaningful commitment for a state primary because it signals specialist teaching and an intention to broaden horizons before secondary.

A final strand is the explicit link between curriculum and character. PSHE content is tied to the Core 4 values, and inspection evidence supports the idea that personal development is built through roles, trips, and structured opportunities to contribute to school life.

As a primary, the main destination question is transition into Year 7. Kingslea’s published communications show a structured transition rhythm, including a dedicated day when Year 6 pupils visit their secondary schools while pupils meet new class teachers as part of the wider transition process.

For pupils who need additional support, the SEN information describes transition arrangements that involve liaising with the new school and alerting key staff and agencies where appropriate. This is a practical indicator of continuity, particularly for pupils with additional needs.

Because the school does not publish a single named destination list for secondary transfer, families should treat the transition plan as process-led rather than destination-led. The right next step is usually to consider West Sussex secondary options alongside travel time, peer group fit, and the admissions criteria of the receiving schools.

Kingslea is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Admissions are coordinated through West Sussex County Council for Reception entry, and Kingslea’s own published admissions information highlights a two-class structure in each year group, with a typical intake of 60 pupils and an overall capacity of 420.

The main message for parents is competition. With a subscription proportion of 4.37 at the primary entry point (258 applications for 59 offers), families should assume that proximity and criteria will matter and that late planning carries risk.

Key county dates for September 2026 entry are clear. Applications open on 06 October 2025 and close at 11.59pm on 15 January 2026. Offer day is 16 April 2026.

On open events, Kingslea indicates that tours are offered from October to December each year, with details published through the school’s usual communications. For families planning ahead, that pattern gives a sensible planning window, but the precise dates should be confirmed for the relevant admissions cycle.

Parents in competitive areas should also use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check distance assumptions carefully before relying on a place, particularly in years where demand fluctuates.

The pastoral approach at Kingslea is structured and multi-layered, with universal classroom expectations supported by targeted interventions when pupils need more help.

Inspection evidence indicates pupils feel safe, bullying is rare, and relationships are underpinned by an ethos of kindness, with pupils confident that adults will help when something goes wrong. It also confirms effective safeguarding systems and staff training, with quick action when concerns are raised and support from external agencies where needed.

Beyond the headline, the provision map gives unusually practical detail for a mainstream primary. It describes a broad set of classroom strategies (clear routines, structured scaffolds, visual supports, processing time, quiet spaces, and regulation tools such as weighted blankets where appropriate). It also lists targeted interventions spanning learning, language, social skills, and wellbeing, including ELSA, learning mentor support, social skills groups, and access to counselling.

The PSHE approach is framed as preparing pupils for life in modern Britain and explicitly links personal development to the Core 4 values.

The enrichment offer at Kingslea is detailed and specific, with a strong blend of sport, performance, creativity and leadership.

Sport is a major pillar. The school highlights frequent participation in inter-school competitions and festivals, supported by a sports coach funded through the PE and sport premium. The school has also been recognised with a Platinum Quality Start Award for Key Stage 1 PE and sport, signalling that physical activity is treated as foundational rather than optional.

Clubs and activities are broad and, importantly, named. The extracurricular pages describe competitive pathways in cricket, hockey, netball, and football, plus athletics linked to district events. There is also a strong arts and performance thread, with drama productions, musical theatre, and multiple dance strands including country dancing and Irish dancing, with public performance opportunities such as local festivals.

Music and large-scale experiences feature too. Choir runs for pupils from Year 3 and includes participation in the Young Voices concert at the O2, alongside school-based performances such as a festive Candlelit Concert.

STEM is supported through an IT suite and specific clubs. The school refers to coding clubs across age groups, plus a stop motion animation club, giving pupils a practical pathway into computing creativity rather than only screen-based tasks.

Leadership and service are visible through groups such as Community Action, play leaders, and pupil governors. These roles align with the school’s emphasis on pupils contributing to school life and practising responsibility in realistic ways.

Finally, there is an environmental strand. The school participates in Eco-Schools and has achieved a Silver Award, with work spanning areas such as biodiversity, waste, litter and healthy living, and a stated intention to progress toward the Green Flag.

The school day is clearly structured with a staggered finish by phase. Doors open at 8.40am, with lessons running to 3.10pm for Reception, 3.15pm for Years 1 and 2, and 3.20pm for Years 3 to 6, with gates closing at 8.50am.

Wraparound care is referenced by the school, and on-site before and after-school provision is available through a dedicated childcare provider. Timings and booking arrangements should be checked directly, as published details vary by year and capacity.

For travel and drop-off, the school regularly reminds families about considerate parking and safe behaviour around the site, suggesting that congestion and local access are practical realities at peak times. The school also publishes accessibility information including disabled parking bays and ground-floor access features.

• Competition for places. Reception entry is oversubscribed, with around 4.37 applications per place in the latest demand snapshot. Families should plan early and understand West Sussex deadlines well in advance.

• Inspection profile is mixed at the headline level. The school is Good overall, with several areas judged Outstanding, but not all elements are at the top grade. Families seeking an all-Outstanding profile should read the detail and decide what matters most to them.

• Phonics consistency is a stated improvement area. The most recent inspection evidence identifies variation in staff confidence and consistency in phonics delivery as an area for development, which can matter most for pupils who need tightly structured early reading support.

• Parking and local access. School communications repeatedly remind families to park legally and considerately, which is usually a sign that drop-off congestion can be challenging in practice.

Kingslea Primary School combines very strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a clear values-led culture and a rich programme beyond the classroom. The scale of the school supports breadth in sport, music, computing and pupil leadership, while the inclusion documentation suggests a structured approach to wellbeing and additional needs.

This is best suited to families who value academic stretch alongside a strong culture of kindness and responsibility, and who are able to engage early with admissions planning in a competitive local market.