Balfour Primary School

School overview

Balfour Primary School is a primary school serving Brighton and Hove, classified by the DfE as a community school. It has 682 pupils aged 4 to 11 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Balfour Primary School 'Good'. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — above the national average of 61%. That marks an improvement of 5.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 31% of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 107 in reading and 106 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 10% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Competition for places is real here - 76% of first-choice applicants were offered a Reception place for September 2026 (119 first choices for 90 places). The council's own allocation figures show the last child offered a place for 2026 lived 0.63 miles away in a straight line — that distance is not a fixed catchment and moves each year. Overall pupil absence was 4.5%. There are about 23.4 pupils per teacher. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 11% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.