Find the best primary schools in Horsham. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Horsham has 44 primary schools, all in West Sussex 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 44, 20 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 Horsham 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Heron Way Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School, Horsham | Roman Catholic | 4.7 / 5 |
| St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 4.7 / 5 |
| Castlewood Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Barns Green Primary School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Amberley CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| Holbrook Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Trafalgar Community Infant School | Mixed |
There are 44 primary schools in Horsham. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
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. If you live in Horsham, that council is West Sussex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 44 primary schools in Horsham, 20 have a religious character: 17 Church of England, 2 Roman Catholic and 1 Quaker. 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 Heron Way Primary School (4.8), St Robert Southwell Catholic Primary School, Horsham (4.7), St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School (4.7), Castlewood Primary School (4.5) and Barns Green Primary School (4.5). 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 44 schools here, 43 have enough published data for a rating.
| 4.4 / 5 |
| Kingslea Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Andrew's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| All Saints CofE Primary School, Horsham | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Ashurst CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Arunside School, Horsham | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Jolesfield CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| St Mary's CofE (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Kilnwood Vale Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Thakeham Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Bohunt Horsham | all-through | 3.9 / 5 |
| Southwater Junior Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Shelley Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Mary's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Steyning CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| West Chiltington Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| North Heath Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Greenway Junior School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Southwater Infant Academy | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Rudgwick Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Shipley CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Upper Beeding Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Colgate Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Storrington Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| St John's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.6 / 5 |
| Billingshurst Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Leechpool Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Warnham CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Slinfold CofE Primary School and Pre School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Lower Beeding | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Ashington CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Oakfields Primary School, Horsham | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| St James' CofE Primary School, Coldwaltham | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| William Penn School | Quaker | 2.9 / 5 |
| St Peter's CofE Primary School | Church of England | 2.5 / 5 |
| Rusper 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.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
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.