Blackthorns Community Primary School
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | 3 Blackthorns Close Lindfield Haywards Heath West Sussex RH16 2UA |
| Phone | 01444454866 |
| Reference Number | 141892 |
Blackthorns Community Primary School is performing well overall. Achievement is a clear strength: pupils achieve highly from the early years onwards, attainment in Year 6 reading, writing and mathematics is above national averages, and disadvantaged pupils achieve very well. Pupils with SEND and those facing other barriers make good progress from their starting points. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils say they feel safe and well supported. Across attendance, behaviour, curriculum, early years, inclusion, leadership and personal development, the school is meeting expected standards. Attendance is high and well above national averages, persistent absence has been reducing, and behaviour is calm and respectful. The broad curriculum is well sequenced, teaching is typically secure, and the early years provision gives children a strong start. Inclusion is effective, and leaders use pupil premium and external support well. The school joined Hurst Education Trust in June 2026 and has maintained high standards during significant change; governance is effective and staff wellbeing is prioritised. The main areas for further development are to embed highly effective teaching consistently across all subjects and year groups, to continue strengthening the personal development programme so pupils are very well prepared for life beyond school, and to keep reducing persistent absence. Overall, this is a strong and improving school with no widespread concerns.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 203 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.2%
Girls: 46.8% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 3% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 29 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 28.7 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| 2 | 12 | 15 | 27 |
| 3 | 20 | 10 | 30 |
| 4 | 19 | 9 | 28 |
| 5 | 13 | 17 | 30 |
| 6 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 76.8% |
| Indian | 5.9% |
| White, Other | 5.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 3% |
| White & Asian | 2.5% |
| African | 2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1% |
| Unclassified | 1% |
| White & Black (African) | 1% |
| Asian, Other | 1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Strong standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| > Early Years | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 23 Jun 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 23 Jun 2026 | School inspection |
| 29 Apr 2025 | School inspection |
| 18 Sep 2018 | Full inspection |
| 15 Mar 2018 | Short inspection |
| 08 Apr 2015 | Academy conversion letter |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Blackthorns Community Primary School, Lindfield | |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 05 May 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 05 May 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Jul 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Jul 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 29 Nov 1999 | Full inspection |
| 29 Nov 1999 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve highly, with attainment above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.
- Disadvantaged pupils achieve very well and benefit from effective pastoral and academic support.
- Pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points through adapted teaching and targeted support.
- Phonics teaching helps pupils read fluently and access learning across the curriculum.
- Attendance is high and above national averages, including for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
- Behaviour is calm, positive and respectful, with rare disruption to learning.
- The curriculum is broad and well sequenced, with reading, writing and mathematics at its heart.
- Early years provision gives children a strong start and prepares them well for Year 1.
- Inclusion is effective, with swift identification of needs and appropriate adaptations in lessons.
- Leadership and governance are effective following the school's move to a new academy trust.
- Pastoral support and personal development help pupils build confidence, resilience and independence.
- Staff workload and wellbeing are given close attention, contributing to a strong team spirit.
Areas for Improvement
- Highly effective teaching is not yet embedded consistently across all subjects and year groups.
- The personal development programme needs further embedding so pupils are very well prepared for life beyond school, including understanding of fundamental British values.
- Persistent absence has reduced but still requires further work.
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2018. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 3. My child makes good progress at this school | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 4. My child is well looked after at this school | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 5. My child is taught well at this school | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 6. My child receives appropriate homework for their age | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 7. This school makes sure its pupils are well behaved | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 8. This school deals effectively with bullying | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20 |
| 9. This school is well led and managed | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 10. This school responds well to any concerns I raise | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 11. I receive valuable information from the school about my child’s progress | 13 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 12. Would you recommend this school to another parent? | 19 | 1 |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 77% | ||
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 13% |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 111 | ||
| Maths | 109 |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 4.8 | ||
| Writing | -0.4 | ||
| Maths | 2 |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 90 | 9 |
| Third Preference | 43 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 3 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
Lindfield Primary Academy
School Lane, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2DX |
0.16 miles |
|
Warden Park Primary Academy
New England Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3JR |
0.75 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Hazelgrove Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3PQ |
0.92 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School
Eastern Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3NL |
0.92 miles |
|
Northlands Wood Primary Academy
Beech Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3RX |
0.98 miles |
|
Harlands Primary School
Penland Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 1PJ |
1.04 miles |
|
Great Walstead School
East Mascalls Lane, Haywards Heath, RH16 2QL |
1.41 miles |
|
Bolnore Village Primary School
Updown Hill, Bolnore Village, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4GD |
1.82 miles |
|
St Augustine's CofE Primary School
Vicarage Lane, Scaynes Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 7PB |
1.84 miles |
|
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield
Glebe Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5BQ |
2.11 miles |
|
St Peter's CofE Primary School
Holmans, Street Lane, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6UQ |
2.96 miles |
|
Wivelsfield Primary School and Nursery
South Road, Wivelsfield Green, East Sussex, RH17 7QN |
3.19 miles |
|
Oak Tree Primary School
Junction Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0PZ |
3.33 miles |
|
St Giles CofE Primary School
Church Lane, Horsted Keynes, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 7AY |
3.4 miles |
|
Sheddingdean Community Primary School
Petworth Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8JT |
3.58 miles |
|
Balcombe Cofe Primary School
London Road, Balcombe, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6HS |
4.2 miles |
|
Birchwood Grove Community Primary School, Burgess Hill
Birchwood Grove Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0DP |
4.25 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School
School Close, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9RJ |
4.26 miles |
|
The Gattons Infant School
Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9SL |
4.26 miles |
|
Danehill Church of England Primary School
School Lane, Danehill, Haywards Heath, East Sussex, RH17 7JB |
4.38 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Oathall Community College
Appledore Gardens, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 2AQ |
0.26 miles |
|
Warden Park Secondary Academy
Broad Street, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5DP |
2.03 miles |
|
Ardingly College
College Road, Haywards Heath, RH17 6SQ |
2.28 miles |
|
Central Education Ltd
Yew Tree Farm, Nash Lane, Scaynes Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 7NJ |
2.49 miles |
|
Chailey Heritage School
Haywards Heath Road, North Chailey, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4EF |
3.51 miles |
|
Hambrook School
Marle Place, Leylands Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8HY |
3.76 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic College
Jane Murray Way, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8GA |
4.12 miles |
|
Burgess Hill Girls
Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0EG |
4.27 miles |
|
The Burgess Hill Academy
Station Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EA |
4.37 miles |
|
Cumnor House School
London Road, Haywards Heath, RH17 7HT |
4.44 miles |
|
Woodlands Meed
Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EY |
4.45 miles |
|
Philpots Manor School
[Postcode RH19 4PR], West Hoathly, West Sussex, RH19 4PR |
4.47 miles |
|
Farney Close School
Bolney Court, Bolney, Crossways, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5RD |
4.77 miles |