Telscombe Cliffs Academy

Telscombe Cliffs Academy is a happy, inclusive primary school that has improved rapidly since joining STEP Academy Trust. This was its first section 5 inspection since becoming an academy in 2022, and its predecessor school had previously required improvement. Pupils feel safe and behave exceptionally well, personal development and early years provision are particularly strong, and a reviewed curriculum has raised aspirations and improved achievement, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Leadership is well supported by the trust, safeguarding is effective, and reading is central to the curriculum. Inspectors identified two main areas for further improvement. Most-able pupils are not always given work that challenges them sufficiently, which can slow their progress. The phonics programme is also not yet delivered with equal precision by all staff, affecting some pupils’ progress towards reading fluency. Overall, the school is performing well, with strong provision and clear capacity to improve further.

Strengths

• A nurturing environment supports excellent behaviour and positive attitudes to learning.
• Pupils feel safe, happy and involved in improving their school through a well-established parliament.
• High expectations and raised aspirations have improved achievement, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Early years provision gives children a fantastic start, with well-embedded routines and purposeful learning.
• The curriculum has been significantly reviewed and remains relevant, with strong support from the trust.
• Reading is firmly at the heart of the curriculum, and struggling readers are identified and supported quickly.
• Staff generally have strong subject knowledge and make learning meaningful and enjoyable.
• Personal, social and health education is well designed, including online safety and equalities.
• A wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities develop pupils’ talents and interests.
• Governance and trust accountability are clear and positively impact the quality of provision.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Most-able pupils are not consistently challenged enough, which slows their progress.
• Not all staff deliver the phonics programme rigorously, affecting pupils’ progress towards reading fluency.

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 Telscombe Cliffs Academy attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.3% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Telscombe Cliffs 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 Telscombe Cliffs Academy had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.1% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Telscombe Cliffs Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Telscombe Cliffs Academy received £8,606 and spent £10,617 for each of its 564 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £220,000 (£391 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Step Academy Trust, income was £8,072 and spending £8,194 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 Lewes · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

Telscombe Cliffs Academy is part of Step Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Peacehaven Heights Academy Peacehaven
• Breakwater Academy Newhaven
• High Cliff Academy Newhaven
• White House Academy Hailsham
• Hawkes Farm Academy Hailsham
• Thornton Grove Academy Hailsham
• Tudor Academy Croydon
• Applegarth Academy Croydon
• Heathfield Academy Croydon
• Beddington Park Academy Croydon

What is Telscombe Cliffs Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Telscombe Cliffs Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Telscombe Cliffs Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Telscombe Cliffs Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Telscombe Cliffs Academy have?

Telscombe Cliffs Academy has 521 pupils on roll.

What age range does Telscombe Cliffs Academy cover?

Telscombe Cliffs Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Telscombe Cliffs Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Telscombe Cliffs Academy?

Telscombe Cliffs Academy is at Telscombe Cliffs Way, Telscombe Cliffs, Peacehaven, East Sussex, BN10 7DE.