St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School

St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is effectively maintaining the standards observed in its previous inspection, continuing to provide a nurturing and safe environment for its pupils. The school prides itself on creating a vibrant community where students engage meaningfully with their learning. During this inspection, it was noted that pupils not only achieve well academically but also demonstrate exceptional behavior, guided by clear expectations set by the staff. The curriculum has been well-sequenced and is tailored to the interests of the pupils, which helps in fostering their overall development. However, there are areas that require further attention to ensure all adjustments in teaching are fully embedded, particularly for students with SEND, to strengthen their learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a welcoming and safe school environment.
• Strong achievements across a broad range of subjects.
• High-quality work produced by pupils showcased throughout the school.
• Well-sequenced and engaging curriculum tailored to pupil needs.
• Effective collaboration among teachers in the federation enhances learning.
• Support for older pupils who have fallen behind in reading is effective.
• Positive behavior management leads to exceptional pupil behavior.
• Diligent efforts to improve attendance and engage with families.
• Meaningful community and global projects foster moral and cultural understanding.

Areas for Improvement

• Adaptive teaching approaches for SEND pupils are not fully embedded.

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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.0% 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, 1.3% of pupils at St Mary the Virgin 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School had 17.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 66.2% 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, 23.5% of pupils at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 2019–20 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School received £5,913 and spent £5,800 for each of its 92 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £43,000 (£467 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 Wealden · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School have?

St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School has 81 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School cover?

St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?

St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is at High Street, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4AA.