Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School

About Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School

Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School is performing well above the local authority average for its type, with 74% of its pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2. That is a full 15 percentage points higher than the East Sussex average of 59%, placing the school comfortably in the top 25% nationally. Its ranking within Wealden is particularly strong — 5th out of 48 primary schools, which puts it in the top 11% locally. The school is also oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 47 applications for 30 places, with 23 first-preference offers made. That ratio of 1.57 applicants per place suggests a solid local reputation. The school is a Church of England primary with a mixed intake of 204 pupils, just shy of its 210 capacity, and 16.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is close to the national average.

Digging into the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the school’s strongest subject is reading, where the average scaled score is 107 and 38% of pupils achieved the higher standard. In maths, the average score is 105, with 18% reaching the higher threshold. Writing is slightly lower, with 12% at the higher standard, but 79% met the expected level. The school has held a Good rating from Ofsted across its two most recent inspections — a graded inspection in 2017 and an ungraded visit in 2022, which confirmed it remains Good. The 2017 inspection gave top marks of Good for leadership and management, early years provision, and overall effectiveness. The 2022 ungraded inspection noted no change in quality. Compared with the local picture, where only 10 out of 144 primary schools in East Sussex are rated Outstanding, Herstmonceux’s consistent Good rating places it in a solid, reliable bracket.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a forest school, sports hall, chapel, art studios, music rooms and an ICT suite. Sports provision covers tennis, football, cricket, swimming and netball, while clubs include chess, coding, film club and book club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provision for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is a Church of England voluntary aided primary, so faith-based admissions criteria may apply, though the oversubscription data shows 23 first-preference applications for 30 places, meaning most local families who want a place are likely to get one. This is a school that suits families looking for strong academic outcomes in a village setting, with a clear Christian character and a good range of extracurricular activities.

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