Newick Church of England Primary School

Newick Church of England Primary School is a nurturing, caring school where pupils flourish and achieve well. This was its first section 5 inspection; it joined the Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust in March 2024 and had not previously been inspected under section 5, although it was previously judged outstanding before becoming an academy. Inspectors found a broad, highly ambitious curriculum, strong teaching and a well-resourced learning environment, with outdoor learning and reading particularly effective. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are keen learners and achieve well, and relationships and behaviour are exemplary. Personal development and early years provision are exceptional. Children get an excellent start, quickly building communication and language skills, and phonics is taught expertly so pupils become fluent readers. Pupils are respectful, responsible and kind, attendance is generally good and leaders act swiftly where it is not. Pastoral care is strong, pupils feel safe, and staff and governance are well supported and effective. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is the consistency of curriculum adaptations for pupils with SEND. While needs are identified accurately and support is timely, teachers' adaptations sometimes do not precisely match pupils' needs, meaning some pupils with SEND do not access the intended learning as effectively or independently as their peers. Leaders should ensure these adaptations are consistently well matched.

Strengths

• Broad and highly ambitious curriculum
• High-quality outdoor learning that enriches classroom lessons
• Pupils achieve well, including those with SEND
• Strong communication skills and confident, articulate pupils
• Well-organised and thoughtfully resourced learning environment
• Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain ideas clearly
• Regular and effective checks on pupils' understanding
• Early years provision gives children an excellent start
• Expert phonics teaching and a high priority on reading
• Pupils are extremely respectful, responsible and kind
• Behaviour is exemplary and relationships are a real strength
• Personal development provision is exceptional
• Strong pastoral care and pupils feel safe
• Staff are proud, well supported and mindful of well-being
• Governance provides highly effective support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum adaptations for pupils with SEND are not consistently well matched to their particular learning needs
• Some pupils with SEND do not access the intended learning as effectively or independently as they could

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 Newick Church of England Primary School attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.7% 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 Newick Church of England Primary 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 Newick Church of England Primary School had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 1.1% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Newick Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Newick Church of England Primary School received £6,302 and spent £6,605 for each of its 204 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £38,000 (£185 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 Lewes · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

Newick Church of England Primary School is part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Crawley
• St Nicolas & St Mary CofE Primary School Shoreham-By-Sea
• St Catherine's College Eastbourne
• Tollgate Community Junior School Eastbourne
• St Andrew's Church of England Infants School Eastbourne
• The Haven Church of England Methodist Primary School Eastbourne
• St John's Meads Church of England Primary School Eastbourne
• Ninfield Church of England Primary School Battle
• Heene CofE Primary School Worthing
• Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and Nursery Etchingham

What is Newick Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Newick Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Newick Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Newick Church of England Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Newick Church of England Primary School have?

Newick Church of England Primary School has 217 pupils on roll.

What age range does Newick Church of England Primary School cover?

Newick Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Newick Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Newick Church of England Primary School?

Newick Church of England Primary School is at 63 Allington Road, Newick, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4NB.