Find the best primary schools in Brighton and Hove. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Brighton and Hove has 46 primary schools, all in Brighton and Hove council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 46, 13 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Brighton and Hove primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Downs Infant School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| West Hove Infant School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Hove Junior School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.2 / 5 |
| Balfour Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Carlton Hill Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Patcham Junior School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| St Andrew's CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England |
There are 46 primary schools in Brighton and Hove.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 46 primary schools in Brighton and Hove, 13 have a religious character: 7 Church of England and 6 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Downs Infant School (4.6), West Hove Infant School (4.5), Hove Junior School (4.5), Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School (4.2) and Balfour Primary School (4.2). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 46 schools here, 45 have enough published data for a rating.
| 4.1 / 5 |
| St Margaret's CofE Primary School, Rottingdean | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Patcham Infant School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Stanford Infant School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Goldstone Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Downs Junior School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Peter Gladwin Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Bevendean Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Bilingual Primary School - Brighton & Hove | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Martin's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Westdene Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Saltdean Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St Luke's Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.6 / 5 |
| Aldrington CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| City Academy Whitehawk | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.5 / 5 |
| Fairlight Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Mile Oak Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Paul's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Our Lady of Lourdes RC School | Roman Catholic | 3.4 / 5 |
| St Nicolas CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Moulsecoomb Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Coldean Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Carden Nursery and Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Brackenbury Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| West Blatchington Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Coombe Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Hertford Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Rudyard Kipling Primary School & Nursery | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| St Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.1 / 5 |
| Brunswick Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| St Mark's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Elm Grove Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.0 / 5 |
| Queen's Park Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| Hangleton Primary School | Mixed | 2.4 / 5 |
| Benfield Primary School | Mixed | 2.3 / 5 |
| Woodingdean Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.