St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School
About St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School
St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School is a state-funded Roman Catholic primary in the East Sussex borough of Rother, serving 208 pupils aged 4 to 11. It sits within a competitive local landscape: among the 30 primary schools in Rother, it ranks 10th based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The three top-performing peers in the local authority are St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School, Catsfield Church of England Primary School, and Blackboys Church of England Primary School. St Mary Magdalene’s ranking score of 67 places it in the top 50% nationally and in the top third of the South East region. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 61 applications for 28 places, with 27 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.18. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025 rated its overall effectiveness as not judged, though inspectors awarded Outstanding grades for both personal development and behaviour and attitudes.
Key Details
The full report on this school
What 26 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Jan 2025From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.
Source: Ofsted, 19 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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