Heron Park Primary Academy

About Heron Park Primary Academy

Heron Park Primary Academy is a state-funded mixed primary school in Eastbourne, part of the East Sussex local authority. It sits among 144 primary schools in the area, but its ranking on the key stage 2 expected standard measure places it 109th in the LA, putting it in the bottom half locally. The top-performing peers in East Sussex include St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School, Catsfield Church of England Primary School, and Blackboys Church of England Primary School, all of which score significantly higher on the same metric. Heron Park’s rank of 9th out of 10 schools in Eastbourne itself further underscores its position in a competitive local landscape. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Polegate Primary School, 3.9 kilometres away. Heron Park itself was rated Good in its most recent inspection in 2022, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018, with all inspected categories now graded Good.

Academically, Heron Park’s key stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 44%, well below the East Sussex LA average of 59%. Individual subject scores were more varied: 72% met the expected standard in writing, compared with 56% in reading and 49% in maths. At the higher standard, just 2% achieved the combined benchmark, with 16% reaching that level in reading, 9% in maths, and 5% in writing. Average scaled scores were 102 in reading and 100 in maths, both in line with national norms. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is not possible to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The Ofsted report noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management are all Good, and early years provision is also Good, suggesting a solid foundation for younger pupils.

Heron Park has a capacity of 420 and currently houses 348 pupils, with 39.7% eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26: 41 applications were received for 18 places, with 18 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.28. Facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium, library, playing fields, forest school, and a sensory room, alongside a chapel. The school offers a nursery provision and has a range of clubs including coding, choir, drama, and gardening. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication, and autistic spectrum disorder. This school may suit families who value a broad range of extracurricular activities and strong SEND support, and who are comfortable with academic results that are below the LA average but set within a school that has shown recent improvement in its Ofsted rating.

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