Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Main Street, Northiam, Rye, TN31 6NB
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST
- Head of School
- Mrs Julia Bray
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chichester
- Sponsor
- Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Bexhill and Battle
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 108
- Pupils on roll
- 159
- URN
- 148742
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01797252141
About this school
Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery is a Church of England primary academy in Rye. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 159 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery, 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
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 4 March 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. 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 | 19 | 15 | 14 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 53% | 60% | 79% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 74% | 80% | 86% |
| Expected standard in maths | 74% | 67% | 79% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 58% | 67% | 86% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 101.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.00 | - | - |
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 Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery 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 | 53% | 54.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 60% | 56.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 79% | 57.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 140 |
| 2023/24 | 144 |
| 2024/25 | 150 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery compares
Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery ranked 13th of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 86% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 79% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 79% | 4.3% | 20.7% | 159 | — |
| Beckley Church of England Primary School | 50% | 5.3% | 15.6% | 83 | 1.4 miles |
| Brede Primary School | 100% | 5% | 7.9% | 97 | 2.8 miles |
| Sandhurst Primary School | 68% | 4.4% | 21.9% | 179 | 3.1 miles |
| Bodiam Church of England Primary School | 36% | 4.6% | 21.4% | 85 | 3.2 miles |
| Staplecross Methodist Primary School | 50% | 5.6% | 23.8% | 88 | 3.2 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)
- 20.72%
- English as an additional language
- 0.7%
- Overall absence
- 4.29%
- Persistent absence
- 10.31%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Beckley Church of England Primary School1.4 miles
Primary · Rye
-
Brede Primary School2.8 miles
Primary · Rye
-
Sandhurst Primary School3.1 miles
Primary · Cranbrook
-
Bodiam Church of England Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Robertsbridge
-
Staplecross Methodist Primary School3.2 miles
Primary · Robertsbridge
Other schools in Rye
- Beckley Church of England Primary School Primary
- Brede Primary School Primary
- Peasmarsh Church of England Primary School Primary
- Rye Community Primary School Primary
- Rye College Secondary
- Frewen College Special schools
- Little Gate College Other types
Common questions
- What ages does Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery teach?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in Rye.
- Who is the head of school of Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
- The head of school of Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery is Mrs Julia Bray, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery, 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 Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery has 159 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery full?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery has capacity for 108 pupils and 159 on roll (147%), so it is at or above 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 Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery a faith school?
- Yes. Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chichester.
- Does Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery as having no nursery classes.
- Is Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery part of an academy trust?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery is part of DIOCESE OF CHICHESTER ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 53% in 2022/23 and 79% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery compare with other schools in East Sussex?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery ranked 13th of 131 primary schools in East Sussex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 86% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 79% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery's absence rate?
- Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery's overall absence rate is 4.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery'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 10 July 2026.