St Philip's Catholic Primary School

About St Philip's Catholic Primary School

If you're looking at St Philip's Catholic Primary School, the first thing you'll notice is how strongly parents feel about it. In the most recent Parent View survey, a remarkable 94% of the 48 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents. That's a very high level of confidence. Digging into the detail, 96% of parents either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy here, and a combined 96% felt their child is safe. The school is clearly popular, too: for the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 46 applications for just 29 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.59. Of those 46 applicants, 19 put St Philip's as their first preference, and all 19 were offered a place. So while it's oversubscribed, first-preference families have a strong chance of getting in. The school's Roman Catholic character will naturally appeal to some families, but the parent satisfaction data suggests its appeal is broader than that.

Academically, St Philip's performs well above the local average. At Key Stage 2, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an East Sussex average of just 59%. That puts the school 23rd out of 144 primary schools in the local authority, and 8th out of 48 schools in the Wealden area. Looking at individual subjects, the average reading score was 107 and maths 105, both above the national benchmark of 100. A higher proportion of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading (41%) than in maths (24%) or writing (18%). In its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated the school Good overall, with personal development judged Outstanding. Behaviour and attitudes, leadership, quality of education and early years provision were all rated Good. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, the previous one being in 2012.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a sports hall, gymnasium, ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room and a forest school area. There's a chapel on site, reflecting its Catholic foundation. Sports include swimming, cricket, tennis and athletics, and clubs run the gamut from book club and art club to choir and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support. With a nursery on site, it caters for children from age 3 right through to 11. The school is slightly over capacity with 218 pupils against a capacity of 210, and 14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes, a clear Catholic ethos and a community where parents report very high levels of satisfaction.

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