Staplecross Methodist Primary School

Staplecross Methodist Primary School is a small, community-minded primary where pupils feel happy and safe. Inspectors found strong relationships, consistent behaviour and a broad, ambitious curriculum that has been refined after low published outcomes in some areas. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well and are well prepared for their next steps; reading and phonics are particular strengths, with pupils becoming fluent readers by the end of Year 2. The school's caring ethos is evident in pupil roles such as librarians, play leaders and well-being ambassadors, and in mature attitudes to difference and diversity. Staff are well supported, governors know the school well, and safeguarding is effective. The main areas for improvement are that leaders do not yet evaluate the impact of curriculum changes precisely enough, and in a small number of subjects some tasks do not match the curriculum's ambition, so a few pupils do not deepen their knowledge and vocabulary as fully as they could. Contextually, this was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the headteacher and senior leadership team have changed since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community with pupils taking meaningful roles
• Pupils feel happy, safe and well supported by trusted adults
• Consistent behaviour and warm relationships
• High expectations that help pupils achieve well
• Broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum, including mixed-age classes
• Well-designed SEND identification and high-quality support
• Strong reading and phonics provision, with fluent readers by Year 2
• Staff receive high-quality professional development
• Governors know the school well and provide challenge and support
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum improvement work is not evaluated precisely enough to show impact
• In a small number of subjects, activities do not match the curriculum's ambition
• Some pupils do not deepen their knowledge and vocabulary as well as they could

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 Staplecross Methodist Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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 Staplecross Methodist 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 Staplecross Methodist Primary School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 35.8% 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, 10.2% of pupils at Staplecross Methodist Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Staplecross Methodist Primary School received £8,424 and spent £7,924 for each of its 88 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £28,000 (£313 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 Staplecross Methodist Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Staplecross Methodist Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Staplecross Methodist Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Staplecross Methodist Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Staplecross Methodist Primary School have?

Staplecross Methodist Primary School has 88 pupils on roll.

What age range does Staplecross Methodist Primary School cover?

Staplecross Methodist Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Staplecross Methodist Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Staplecross Methodist Primary School?

Staplecross Methodist Primary School is at Bodiam Road, Staplecross, Bodiam Road, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5QD.