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St Michael's Church of England Primary School

Rother, TN31 7PJPrimaryAges 5–11MixedState
Ofsted Inspection
Ofsted inspected
3 Good · 2 Requires improvement
Apr 2025
KS2 Results
38%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
6 1st-choice / 6 places
Ranking
#12,752
of 13,686 nationally

About St Michael's Church of England Primary School

St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in Rother, East Sussex, with 81 pupils on roll. It sits near the bottom of the local authority rankings, placing 117th out of 144 same-type schools in East Sussex and 29th out of 30 in Rother specifically. Its ranking score of 38 puts it in the bottom 50 nationally, a significant distance from the top-performing local peers: St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School (score 92), Catsfield Church of England Primary (88), and Blackboys Church of England Primary (86). The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 14 applications for 6 places and all 6 first-preference offers accepted, suggesting strong local demand despite the ranking position. Headteacher Lison Smart leads a Church of England school that operates within a capacity of 105, so there is room for growth.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range5 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressHoughton Green Lane, Playden Rye, Rother, TN31 7PJ
HeadteacherLison Smart
Local AuthorityEast Sussex
Number of Pupils81
Free School Meals (FSM)27.2%
School Capacity81 / 105 (77% full)

The full report on this school

What 24 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 English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

23 Apr 2025
View Report
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Early Years Provision
Good

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade in inspections of state-funded schools.

Source: Ofsted, 20 May 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Playing FieldsMusic RoomsSensory RoomSports HallForest SchoolOutdoor PlaygroundLibraryICT SuiteChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

8

Sports

FootballTennisNetballCross CountryDance

Clubs & Activities

Science ClubCodingChess

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

DyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Michael's Church of England Primary School

St Michael's Church of England Primary School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.