The March CofE Primary School
Claypit Lane, Westhampnett, Chichester, PO18 0NU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicky Metcalfe
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chichester
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Chichester
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 208
- URN
- 146448
- Local authority
- West Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01243783987
About this school
The March CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Chichester. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 208 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The March CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 32 | 30 | 30 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 63% | 27% | 60% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 3% | 0% | 7% |
| Expected standard in reading | 81% | 73% | 80% |
| Expected standard in maths | 72% | 63% | 70% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 72% | 50% | 77% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.50 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The March CofE Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | West Sussex average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 63% | 53.2% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 27% | 54.1% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 60% | 56.3% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 209 |
| 2023/24 | 209 |
| 2024/25 | 202 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The March CofE Primary School compares
The March CofE Primary School ranked 100th of 192 primary schools in West Sussex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 40% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 41% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 60% | 5.9% | 9.9% | 208 | — |
| Portfield Primary Academy | 43% | 7% | 40.5% | 288 | 1.0 miles |
| Rumboldswhyke CofE Primary School | 18% | 5.2% | 26.4% | 127 | 1.4 miles |
| Tangmere Primary Academy | 70% | 6.4% | 32.4% | 219 | 1.6 miles |
| St. Joseph's Infant School | — | 9.2% | 27.6% | 129 | 1.7 miles |
| St. Joseph's CofE Junior School | 36% | 8.3% | 39.5% | 165 | 1.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 9.9%
- English as an additional language
- 5%
- Overall absence
- 5.88%
- Persistent absence
- 17.37%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Portfield Primary Academy1.0 miles
Primary · West Sussex
-
Rumboldswhyke CofE Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Chichester
-
Tangmere Primary Academy1.6 miles
Primary · Chichester
-
St. Joseph's Infant School1.7 miles
Primary · Chichester
-
St. Joseph's CofE Junior School1.7 miles
Primary · Chichester
Other schools in Chichester
The March CofE Primary School ranks 11th of the 23 ranked primary schools in Chichester.
- Aldingbourne Primary School Primary
- Birdham CE Primary School Primary
- Bosham Primary School Primary
- Boxgrove CofE Primary School Primary
- Chidham Parochial Primary School Primary
- Compton and Up Marden CofE Primary School Primary
- East Wittering Community Primary School Primary
- Eastergate CofE Primary School Primary
- Fishbourne CofE Primary School Primary
- Funtington Primary School Primary
- Jessie Younghusband Primary School Primary
- Kingsham Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The March CofE Primary School teach?
- The March CofE Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Chichester.
- Who is the headteacher of The March CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of The March CofE Primary School is Mrs Nicky Metcalfe, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The March CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The March CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The March CofE Primary School?
- The March CofE Primary School has 208 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is The March CofE Primary School full?
- The March CofE Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 208 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The March CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. The March CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chichester.
- Does The March CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records The March CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is The March CofE Primary School part of an academy trust?
- The March CofE Primary School is part of DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have The March CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 63% in 2022/23 and 60% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does The March CofE Primary School compare with other schools in West Sussex?
- The March CofE Primary School ranked 100th of 192 primary schools in West Sussex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 40% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 41% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is The March CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- The March CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.9% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The March CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The March CofE Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.