Dudley Infant Academy

Dudley Infant Academy has made considerable progress since its previous inspection, improving its overall effectiveness from requiring improvement to a good rating. The school offers a caring and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and happy, which is reflected in their outstanding behavior and attitudes. The leadership, including support from the University of Brighton Academies Trust, is committed to high standards and ensures that staff are not burdened by unnecessary paperwork, allowing them to focus on improving the quality of education. While the phonics and reading programs are particularly strong, the curriculum lacks coherence in some foundation subjects, requiring further development.

Strengths

• Very high standards of pupil behavior and attitudes
• Strong leadership focused on staff support and reducing unnecessary paperwork
• Effective early reading and phonics instruction
• Community involvement is encouraged and fostered
• Pupils feel happy and safe at school

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum planning is not coherent in some foundation subjects
• Inconsistent teacher subject knowledge affects teaching quality

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 Dudley Infant Academy attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.9% 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 Dudley Infant Academy 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 Dudley Infant Academy had 20.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% 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, 13.6% of pupils at Dudley Infant Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 2024–25 Dudley Infant Academy received £7,163 and spent £7,429 for each of its 171 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,000 (£23 per pupil).

Across all 28 schools of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, income was £7,049 and spending £7,093 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Dudley Infant Academy is part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• All Saints CofE Junior Academy Hastings
• St Paul's Church of England Academy St Leonards-On-Sea
• Christ Church CofE Primary and Nursery Academy Hastings
• St Leonards Church of England Primary Academy St Leonards-On-Sea
• Sedlescombe Church of England Primary School Battle
• Chantry Community Primary School Bexhill-On-Sea
• Little Common School Bexhill-On-Sea
• Ninfield Church of England Primary School Battle
• Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery Rye
• Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and Nursery Etchingham

What is Dudley Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dudley Infant Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Dudley Infant Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Dudley Infant Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Dudley Infant Academy have?

Dudley Infant Academy has 169 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dudley Infant Academy cover?

Dudley Infant Academy for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Dudley Infant Academy?

Dudley Infant Academy is at Harold Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5NJ.