Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School
Sheepsetting Lane, Cross in Hand, Heathfield, TN21 0XG
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Blakeley
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chichester
- Constituency
- Sussex Weald
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 379
- URN
- 114496
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01435862941
About this school
Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Heathfield. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 379 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 52 | 48 | 56 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 71% | 60% | 70% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Expected standard in reading | 75% | 75% | 75% |
| Expected standard in maths | 87% | 73% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 73% | 71% | 79% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 108.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.20 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -2.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | East Sussex average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 71% | 54.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 60% | 56.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 70% | 57.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 382 |
| 2023/24 | 370 |
| 2024/25 | 385 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School compares
Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School ranked 43rd of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 70% | 5.2% | 14.3% | 379 | — |
| Parkside Community Primary School | 72% | 6% | 12.6% | 225 | 1.1 miles |
| All Saints' and St Richard's Church of England Primary School | 58% | 8.4% | 11.5% | 86 | 1.5 miles |
| Maynards Green Community Primary School | 68% | 6% | 12% | 205 | 1.7 miles |
| Five Ashes CofE Primary School | 82% | 5.1% | 22.8% | 53 | 2.6 miles |
| Punnetts Town Community Primary and Nursery School | 71% | 4.2% | 4% | 121 | 2.7 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 14.29%
- English as an additional language
- 4.4%
- Overall absence
- 5.23%
- Persistent absence
- 13.14%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Parkside Community Primary School1.1 miles
Primary · Heathfield
-
All Saints' and St Richard's Church of England Primary School1.5 miles
Primary · Heathfield
-
Maynards Green Community Primary School1.7 miles
Primary · Heathfield
-
Five Ashes CofE Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Mayfield
-
Punnetts Town Community Primary and Nursery School2.7 miles
Primary · Heathfield
Other schools in Heathfield
Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School ranks 3rd of the 6 ranked primary schools in Heathfield.
- All Saints' and St Richard's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Dallington Church of England Primary School Primary
- Maynards Green Community Primary School Primary
- Parkside Community Primary School Primary
- Punnetts Town Community Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Heathfield Community College Secondary
- St Mary's School Academies
Common questions
- What year groups does Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School teach?
- Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Heathfield.
- Who is the headteacher of Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School is Mr Richard Blakeley, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School?
- Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School has 379 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School full?
- Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School has capacity for 420 pupils and 379 on roll (90%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chichester.
- Does Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- How have Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 71% in 2022/23 and 70% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School rank locally?
- Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School ranked 43rd of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 66% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 54% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.2% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Cross-in-Hand Church of England Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.