St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School

St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School is a happy, calm and purposeful school where pupils behave exceptionally well and demonstrate very mature attitudes to diversity and respect. Pupils are confident and articulate learners, benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum, and are well prepared for the next stage of education. Reading is a particular priority, with consistent phonics teaching and effective support for pupils who fall behind, and pupils with SEND are identified quickly and learn the same curriculum as their peers. Personal development is a notable strength: pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, trips, sports and music, including opportunities for disadvantaged pupils, and the school’s ethos underpins their development. Early years children are capable communicators, attendance is regular, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders support staff well, and governors share the school’s high ambition. The main area for improvement is that, in a small number of subjects, some learning activities are not designed carefully enough to meet pupils’ needs, so pupils do not learn the curriculum as deeply as they could. The school should ensure teachers have the knowledge and skills to design activities that deliver the ambitious curriculum consistently well across all subjects. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Strengths

• Pupils behave exceptionally well and show high levels of respect for everyone.
• Pupils are confident, articulate and have very positive attitudes to learning.
• Reading is prioritised effectively, with strong phonics teaching and swift catch-up.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and learn the same curriculum as their peers.
• Pupils enjoy a rich wider curriculum, including clubs, trips, sports and music.
• Personal development is strong, with pupils showing mature attitudes to diversity and respect.
• Early years children are capable communicators who use subject-specific vocabulary confidently.
• Leaders provide helpful training and support, and staff work closely with them.
• Attendance is regular and the school responds quickly to absence.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, some learning activities are not well designed enough to meet pupils’ needs.
• Pupils do not learn the curriculum as deeply as they could in those subjects.
• Teachers need further support to design activities that deliver the ambitious curriculum consistently across all subjects.

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 Magdalene Catholic Primary School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.5% 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 St Mary Magdalene Catholic 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 Magdalene Catholic Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.2% 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, 10.1% of pupils at St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School received £6,463 and spent £6,737 for each of its 208 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £48,000 (£230 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 Bexhill-On-Sea · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School have?

St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School has 208 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School cover?

St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School?

St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School is at Hastings Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN40 2ND.