Bodiam Church of England Primary School

Bodiam Church of England Primary School is a small, welcoming and caring village school that has improved since its previous inspection. Inspectors found high expectations, a calm and focused learning environment, and pupils who achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education. Behaviour is a standout strength: pupils are courteous, respectful and motivated, and relationships between pupils and staff are strong. The curriculum is ambitious and engaging, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school has thought carefully about mixed-age classes. Early years provision is strong, and reading is prioritised with skilful phonics teaching. Leadership and management are effective. Staff receive high-quality professional development, feel well supported and are proud to work at the school, while governors know the school’s strengths and improvement priorities and provide effective support and challenge. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is reading books: a small number of pupils are not consistently given books that match the phonics knowledge they have been taught, which limits how well they develop fluency. Overall, this is a school performing well, with behaviour and personal development as notable strengths and a clear, specific next step in early reading.

Strengths

• Welcoming, caring and nurturing community where everyone is valued
• High expectations and an ambitious, engaging curriculum
• Excellent pupil behaviour and respectful relationships
• Effective support for pupils with SEND through curriculum adjustments and targeted adult support
• Strong early years provision with meaningful indoor and outdoor learning
• Prioritised reading and skilful phonics teaching
• Well-led school with high-quality staff development and effective governors
• Pupils develop a secure understanding of British values, healthy relationships and safety
• Effective work with parents to improve attendance and address barriers

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils are not consistently reading books that closely match the phonics they have been taught, limiting their development of reading fluency.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Bodiam Church of England Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Bodiam Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Bodiam Church of England Primary School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 51.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.1% of pupils at Bodiam Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Bodiam Church of England Primary School received £7,402 and spent £8,510 for each of its 85 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £44,000 (£522 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Robertsbridge · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Bodiam Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bodiam Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Bodiam Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bodiam Church of England Primary School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Bodiam Church of England Primary School have?

Bodiam Church of England Primary School has 85 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bodiam Church of England Primary School cover?

Bodiam Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Bodiam Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bodiam Church of England Primary School?

Bodiam Church of England Primary School is at Castle Road, Bodiam, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5UH.