Ocklynge Junior School

Ocklynge Junior School is a school where pupils’ best interests sit at the heart of its work, and inspectors found an ambitious, exciting curriculum that develops the whole child well. The trust has taken decisive action since the previous inspection, redesigning and reinvigorating the curriculum and driving rapid improvement. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well, behaviour is exceptional, and pupils feel safe and well supported. The school’s personal development and wider opportunities are particularly strong. Reading is central to the curriculum, attendance is very high, and pupils take meaningful responsibilities in the school community. Staff feel valued and supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is assessment. The curriculum is new and still under development in a small number of subjects, and the school’s approach to checking pupils’ knowledge over time is variable. Occasionally pupils are assessed on knowledge they have not been taught, and gaps in knowledge are not always addressed quickly enough. Leaders are aware of this and are developing their assessment approach.

Strengths

• Ambitious and exciting curriculum that develops the whole child
• Strong provision for pupils with SEND, who achieve well
• Exceptional behaviour in lessons and around school
• Pupils feel safe and bullying is not tolerated
• Clear, consistent routines and trusting relationships
• Exceptional personal development and wider opportunities
• Reading is central, with rigorous early reading and diverse texts
• Very high attendance supported by effective systems
• Inclusive environment where all pupils feel they belong
• Pupils take on meaningful responsibilities such as pupil parliament and peer mentoring
• Staff feel valued and are well supported
• Trust has driven rapid improvement and effective governance

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum is still under development in a small number of subjects
• Assessment approach is inconsistent across the school
• Pupils are occasionally assessed on knowledge they have not been taught
• Gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always addressed quickly enough
• Assessment information is not always used promptly to adapt the curriculum or inform interventions

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 Ocklynge Junior School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.8% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Ocklynge Junior 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 Ocklynge Junior School had 24.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.4% 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, 24.0% of pupils at Ocklynge Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 2024–25 Ocklynge Junior School received £5,941 and spent £5,537 for each of its 741 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £0 (£0 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of South Downs Learning Trust, income was £7,284 and spending £7,089 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 Eastbourne · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

Ocklynge Junior School is part of South Downs Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Ratton School Eastbourne

What is Ocklynge Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ocklynge Junior School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Ocklynge Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ocklynge Junior School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Ocklynge Junior School have?

Ocklynge Junior School has 720 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ocklynge Junior School cover?

Ocklynge Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Ocklynge Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ocklynge Junior School?

Ocklynge Junior School is at Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8XN.