Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School, Lewes
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Lewes. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 13 schools in Lewes with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. It was 74% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 47% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in East Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (64% in reading, 52% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 45 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School are Newick Church of England Primary School (1.6 miles, 78% reading, 70% maths); Wivelsfield Primary School and Nursery (2.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths); Plumpton Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); and St Augustine's CofE Primary School (2.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 75% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School.
Newick Church of England Primary SchoolWivelsfield Primary School and NurseryPlumpton Primary SchoolSt Augustine's CofE Primary School
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
1.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (92%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 25 pupils (24%) received SEN support and 6 (5.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School has a SEN unit for autism: 12 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Sheffield Park (Bluebell Railway), about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Peter's School (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 7 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will attend a caring school where they feel safe and supported. The school is particularly strong at teaching reading and has an outstanding early years setting. Children benefit from a rich curriculum that goes beyond academics, with visits to museums, wildlife reserves and the local opera house, plus hands-on learning through the school allotment and nature activities.
Key Strengths
- Effective phonics teaching from Reception onwards, helping children become fluent and confident readers
- Outstanding early years provision with stimulating learning environments and activities
- Exceptional personal development programme including nature projects, community service and cultural visits
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, ensuring they are fully included in school life
- Calm, caring behaviour and harmonious relationships across the school
Areas for Improvement
- In some foundation subjects, too much curriculum content means pupils don't have enough time to revisit and remember what they've learned
- Curriculum implementation in a few subjects needs to be more precise to help pupils embed knowledge in their long-term memory
- National assessment outcomes in English and mathematics are not high enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff trained to identify and support pupil needs.
Extracurricular Activities
Breakfast club, after-school club, intergenerational lunch club, nature preservation projects, animal protection initiatives, visits to museums, wildlife reserves, activity centres, local opera house, school allotment
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils feel happy and safe. While the school excels in reading, personal development and early years provision, leaders recognise that outcomes in English and mathematics need to improve.
At a Glance
29.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 67% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 52% to 47% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 48% to 40% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
23.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Term dates
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by East Sussex. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is in East Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to East Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from East Sussex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in East Sussex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
74%
Available places
104 pupils
140 places
36 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Lewes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lewes
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,501
Applications
4,559
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
29.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School has a SEN unit for autism: 12 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
104
Total Pupils
56
Boys
48
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
11.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,820
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,634
Per pupil
£794k
Total funding
£47k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.4%
Overall absence
22.0%
Persistent absence
91
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 67% reached the expected standard in reading and 47% did so in maths.
What is Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 74% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School has around 104 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School has a SEN unit for autism: 12 places, 6 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
8.4% of sessions were missed at Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 22% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School's term dates?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by East Sussex. In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School?
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School is at Chailey St Peter's Ce Primary School, East Grinstead Road, North Chailey, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4DB.
Sources: East Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)