East Hoathly CofE Primary School

About East Hoathly CofE Primary School

East Hoathly CofE Primary School’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit noticeably below the East Sussex local authority average, which is a key point for parents weighing up academic performance. In the 2023/24 academic year, 44% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a county average of 59%. That 15-point gap places the school 110th out of 144 primary schools in East Sussex, and in the bottom half nationally. The school’s reading and writing scores are more encouraging individually — 75% of pupils met the expected standard in each — but maths lags behind at 50%. Higher-attaining pupils are also relatively few: just 13% achieved the higher standard in maths, and 25% in reading. These figures suggest that while the school supports many children to a solid baseline in literacy, overall combined attainment is an area of focus.

Ofsted’s most recent ungraded inspection, in June 2024, confirmed that the school remains Good, a significant improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2014, when it was rated Inadequate. Leadership and management were also judged Good. The school is small, with 84 pupils against a capacity of 140, and 13.1% of children are eligible for free school meals — slightly below the national average. The school has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher James Procter. Nursery provision is available from age three. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not published, so it is difficult to gauge how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment data gives a clear picture of current outcomes.

East Hoathly offers a range of facilities that punch above its size, including a Forest School, music rooms, a sports hall, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, dance, tennis, athletics, netball, gymnastics and cross country, while clubs include coding, chess, drama, choir and film club. The school has a dedicated SEND department covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 16 applications for 12 places, with 9 first-preference offers made. This suggests strong local demand, despite the below-average headline results. Families who prioritise a small, church-affiliated primary with good facilities and a broad enrichment offer may find it a good fit, but those focused on top-tier academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing peers in the area.

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