Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School
Hailsham Road, Herstmonceux, Hailsham, BN27 4LG
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Headteacher Catherine Cottingham
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chichester
- Federation
- The Sussex Spires Federation
- Constituency
- Bexhill and Battle
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 203
- URN
- 114506
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01323833148
About this school
Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Hailsham. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 203 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 29 September 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 28 | 34 | 28 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 71% | 74% | 50% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 9% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 71% | 85% | 71% |
| Expected standard in maths | 82% | 82% | 61% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 79% | 82% | 57% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 106.0 | 105.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.90 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.30 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -0.10 | - | - |
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 Herstmonceux 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 | 74% | 56.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 50% | 57.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 207 |
| 2023/24 | 207 |
| 2024/25 | 204 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School compares
Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School ranked 107th of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 21% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 50% | 5.3% | 16.2% | 203 | — |
| Thornton Grove Academy | — | — | — | 253 | 3.0 miles |
| Hawkes Farm Academy | 74% | 6.5% | 28% | 328 | 3.1 miles |
| White House Academy | 68% | 8.1% | 38.7% | 190 | 3.2 miles |
| Hellingly Community Primary School | — | — | — | 195 | 3.6 miles |
| Grovelands Community Primary School | — | — | — | 694 | 3.6 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)
- 16.18%
- English as an additional language
- 2%
- Overall absence
- 5.33%
- Persistent absence
- 15.85%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Thornton Grove Academy3.0 miles
Primary · Hailsham
-
Hawkes Farm Academy3.1 miles
Primary · Hailsham
-
White House Academy3.2 miles
Primary · Hailsham
-
Hellingly Community Primary School3.6 miles
Primary · Hailsham
-
Grovelands Community Primary School3.6 miles
Primary · Hailsham
Other schools in Hailsham
- Grovelands Community Primary School Primary
- Hawkes Farm Academy Primary
- Hellingly Community Primary School Primary
- Park Mead Primary School Primary
- Thornton Grove Academy Primary
- White House Academy Primary
- Hailsham Academy All-through
- East Sussex Academy Academies
- The Ropemakers' Academy Free Schools
- Bede's Senior School Independent schools
Common questions
- What ages does Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School teach?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Hailsham.
- Who is the headteacher of Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School is Headteacher Catherine Cottingham, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Herstmonceux 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 many pupils are at Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School has 203 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School full?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 203 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chichester.
- Does Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School is part of the The Sussex Spires Federation federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Herstmonceux 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 50% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in East Sussex?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School ranked 107th of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 21% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 52% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Herstmonceux Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Herstmonceux 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.