High Hurstwood Church of England Primary School

About High Hurstwood Church of England Primary School

High Hurstwood Church of England Primary School was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2017. The inspection report noted that behaviour and attitudes remain Outstanding, while leadership and management, the quality of education, personal development, and early years provision are all Good. On the key academic metric for primary schools, 57% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined in the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments. This is just below the East Sussex local authority average of 59%. The school’s average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 104 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100. However, only 21% of pupils reached the higher standard in all three subjects, placing the school in the bottom half of primary schools nationally and 29th out of 48 schools in the Wealden district.

The school’s exam results tell a nuanced story. While the combined expected standard figure is close to the local average, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading (36%) is notably stronger than in maths or writing (both 21%). This suggests reading is a particular strength, though the school may have more work to do in stretching its highest achievers across all subjects. The school is small, with 95 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, and a low proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 6.3%. In the local authority ranking, High Hurstwood sits 75th out of 144 similar schools, with a ranking score of 57. Its top local peers 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.

High Hurstwood is a Church of England primary school for mixed gender pupils aged 4 to 11, located in the Wealden borough of East Sussex. The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 41 applications for just 15 places, with 13 offers going to first-preference applicants. This gives an oversubscription ratio of 2.73, meaning competition for places is high. Facilities include a library, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, a gymnasium, and a chapel. The school offers a range of clubs including chess, coding, eco club, science club, choir, and book club, and sports include rounders, football, dance, netball, and cricket. SEND provisions cover social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a small, faith-based village school that suits families seeking a close-knit environment with strong behaviour standards, but those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to look at higher-performing peers in the area.

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