Cradle Hill Community Primary School

About Cradle Hill Community Primary School

Cradle Hill Community Primary School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 155 applications for 85 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.82, meaning nearly two families applied for every spot. Of those, 83 first-preference families were offered a place, which suggests that most who put it as their top choice were successful. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, this level of demand is a strong signal of satisfaction in the community. The school is led by headteacher Andrea Keith and caters to children aged 2 to 11, with nursery provision available. It is a mixed, non-religious state primary in Lewes, East Sussex, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains a Good school, a rating it has held consistently.

Academically, Cradle Hill performs solidly against both local and national benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is comfortably above the East Sussex local authority average of 59%. The school’s average reading score was 106 and maths 104, both slightly above the national average of 100. A higher-than-average 36% of pupils achieved a higher standard in reading, though the figures for writing (8%) and maths (18%) were more modest. Just 5% reached the higher standard across all three subjects. In the Lewes local authority, Cradle Hill ranks 10th out of 23 primary schools on this combined measure, placing it in the top half locally. Nationally, it sits around the 40th percentile, a respectable showing for a large community primary.

The school is well equipped, with facilities including an outdoor playground, art studios, a gymnasium, a sensory room and even a chapel. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming, athletics, cross country and gymnastics, and there is a good range of clubs from eco club and choir to science club, coding and drama. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 659 pupils against a capacity of 630, the school is slightly over capacity, and 16.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is close to the national average. Cradle Hill suits families who want a large, well-regarded community primary with strong core results, a wide range of activities and a clear track record of local popularity.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Cradle Hill Community Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents