Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is an academy converter in Lewes for pupils aged 2 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 243 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2017 of its predecessor, Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School. In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Teacher turnover is high, with about 39% of its teachers gone within a year (in 2023/24; nationally, 17%).
Ofsted inspection: April 2025. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 2-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Lewes Road Ditchling East Sussex BN6 8TU |
| Phone | 01273844130 |
| Reference Number | 148917 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 243 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 45.68%
Girls: 54.32% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 6.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 5.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 30.6 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 30 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 31 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| 2 | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| 3 | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| 4 | 15 | 17 | 32 |
| 5 | 14 | 16 | 30 |
| 6 | 17 | 15 | 32 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 82.7% |
| White, Other | 7% |
| Mixed, Other | 5.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 3.3% |
| White & Asian | 0.8% |
| Irish | 0.8% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School, inspected in December 2017.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 11 Mar 2025 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 11 Mar 2025 | School inspection |
| 28 Jun 2022 | Academy conversion letter |
| 05 Dec 2017 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School | |
| 03 Jul 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Mar 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Jan 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Jun 2002 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 81% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 19% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | 110 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 109 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | 1.5 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 2.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -0.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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
UnlockUnlock Premium
See how Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
£9.99 one-off payment. Lifetime access, no subscription.
Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 33 | 3 |
| Third Preference | 17 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 54 | 14 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School had 201 pupils for 168 places. That is 33 more pupils than the school has room for.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Lewes District - Other Primary” planning area
East Sussex counted 185 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 190 in 2029–30, up 3%.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 168 | 168 | 168 | 168 |
| Pupils | 169 | 158 | 172 | 201 |
| Unfilled | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 1.4% | 0.6% |
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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 12.1 | 10.9 | 14.9 | 11.6 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 24.4% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 40.0% | 12.5% | 41.7% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 2.2 | 0.3 | 1.6 | – |
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, 13.2% of pupils at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Specific learning difficulty | 12 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 7 | 1 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 6 | 1 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 4 | 1 |
| Physical disability | 2 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 | 0 |
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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School received £5,753 and spent £6,244 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £33,000 (£158 per pupil).
Across all 11 schools of Hurst Education Trust Limited, income was £5,584 and spending £5,780 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £119,000 | £134,000 | £33,000 |
| per pupil | £679 | £729 | £158 |
| In-year balance | -£2,000 | £18,000 | -£104,000 |
| per pupil | -£11 | £100 | -£491 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
The Windmills Junior School
Dale Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LS |
1.13 miles |
|
Hassocks Infant School
Chancellors Park, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8EY |
1.38 miles |
|
Birchwood Grove Community Primary School, Burgess Hill
Birchwood Grove Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0DP |
2.17 miles |
|
London Meed Community Primary School
Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9YQ |
2.29 miles |
|
Plumpton Primary School
Southdowns, Plumpton Green, Near Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3EB |
2.44 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School
School Close, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9RJ |
2.71 miles |
|
Oak Tree Primary School
Junction Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0PZ |
3.09 miles |
|
St Lawrence CofE Primary School
Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9UY |
3.13 miles |
|
The Gattons Infant School
Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9SL |
3.14 miles |
|
Southway Junior School
Southway, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9SU |
3.2 miles |
|
Sheddingdean Community Primary School
Petworth Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8JT |
3.28 miles |
|
Wivelsfield Primary School and Nursery
South Road, Wivelsfield Green, East Sussex, RH17 7QN |
3.38 miles |
|
Coldean Primary School
Kenwards, Coldean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9EN |
3.8 miles |
|
Carden Nursery and Primary School
County Oak Avenue, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8LU |
3.95 miles |
|
Patcham Junior School
Ladies Mile Road, Patcham, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8TA |
4.1 miles |
|
Albourne Church of England Primary School
The Street, Albourne, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9DH |
4.18 miles |
|
Patcham Infant School
Highview Avenue South, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8WW |
4.3 miles |
|
Hamsey Community Primary School
Cooksbridge, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4SJ |
4.63 miles |
|
Westdene Primary School
Bankside, Westdene, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5GN |
4.69 miles |
|
Moulsecoomb Primary School
The Highway, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 4PA |
4.76 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Downlands Community School
Dale Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LP |
1.2 miles |
|
Plumpton College
Ditchling Road, Plumpton, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3AE |
2.12 miles |
|
Burgess Hill Girls
Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0EG |
2.28 miles |
|
Woodlands Meed
Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EY |
2.37 miles |
|
The Burgess Hill Academy
Station Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EA |
2.45 miles |
|
Hurstpierpoint College
College Lane, Hassocks, BN6 9JS |
2.85 miles |
|
Hambrook School
Marle Place, Leylands Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8HY |
3.08 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic College
Jane Murray Way, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8GA |
3.75 miles |
|
Chailey School
Mill Lane, South Chailey, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4PU |
3.93 miles |
|
Patcham High School
Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8PB |
4.19 miles |
|
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Lewes Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9PW |
4.33 miles |
|
LVS Hassocks
London Road, Sayers Common, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9HT |
4.56 miles |
|
Varndean College
Surrenden Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6WQ |
4.89 miles |
|
Varndean School
Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP |
4.91 miles |
All schools in Lewes · East Sussex local authority: places and applications
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is part of Hurst Education Trust Limited, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:
- Albourne Church of England Primary School Hassocks
- Bolnore Village Primary School Haywards Heath
- St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School Haywards Heath
- Blackthorns Community Primary School Haywards Heath
- Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield Haywards Heath
- Lindfield Primary Academy Haywards Heath
- St Peter's CofE Primary School Henfield
- Balcombe Cofe Primary School Haywards Heath
- West Hoathly CofE Primary School Select
- Turners Hill Church of England Primary School Crawley
What is Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2017 of its predecessor, Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School.
When was Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in April 2025.
How many pupils does Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School have?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has 243 pupils on roll.
What age range does Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School cover?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.
What are Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is at Lewes Road, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TU.