Chiddingly Primary School, Lewes
Chiddingly Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Lewes. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 13 schools in Lewes with published results, and 6,288th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Chiddingly Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Chiddingly Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 79% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in East Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Chiddingly Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Chiddingly Primary School as their first choice and 35 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Chiddingly Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Chiddingly Primary School are East Hoathly CofE Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 70% reading, 70% maths); Hellingly Community Primary School (2.3 miles); Park Mead Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 71% maths); and Laughton Community Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 60% reading, 60% maths).
Chiddingly Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
East Hoathly CofE Primary SchoolHellingly Community Primary SchoolPark Mead Primary SchoolLaughton Community Primary School
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Chiddingly Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 18 pupils (17.5%) received SEN support and 2 (1.9%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Chiddingly Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Chiddingly Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chiddingly School (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Chiddingly Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2015, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Chiddingly Primary School excels at creating a caring, inclusive environment where every child feels valued. Reading is prioritized with high-quality phonics teaching, ensuring all children become confident readers. The school goes beyond academics to develop well-rounded pupils through strong values, meaningful leadership roles, and community involvement.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and families, leading to improved attendance and tailored support for each pupil
- Ambitious curriculum with excellent phonics and reading provision, supported by well-trained staff with strong subject knowledge
- Pupils with SEND fully included in school life with effective adaptations to curriculum and environment
- High behaviour standards and engagement in learning, rooted in school values of ambition, kindness and community
- Meaningful leadership opportunities for pupils, including pupil governors and eco council, preparing them for life beyond school
Areas for Improvement
- In a small number of subjects such as art and music, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to deepen their understanding and progress to more complex work in mixed-age classes
- Teachers need further support to design activities that are expertly adapted for mixed-age classes in these subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Pupil librarians, pupil governors, eco council, trips and wider experiences, breakfast club, after-school club
Chiddingly Primary School is a warm and welcoming primary school where pupils feel safe and well cared for. The school has maintained good standards with effective action taken since the previous inspection.
At a Glance
16.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
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 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 87% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 87% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
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 Chiddingly Primary School
Term dates
Chiddingly Primary School is a community 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 Chiddingly Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Chiddingly 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Chiddingly Primary School
Will you get a place at Chiddingly Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Chiddingly Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Chiddingly Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Chiddingly 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 Chiddingly 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
98%
Near capacity
103 pupils
105 places
2 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
18
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
103
Total Pupils
52
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
8
Teachers
12.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,403
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,567
Per pupil
£734k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.3%
Overall absence
17.8%
Persistent absence
90
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Chiddingly Primary School
What are SATs results like at Chiddingly Primary School?
Of the pupils at Chiddingly Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 79% did so in maths.
What is Chiddingly Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Chiddingly Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Chiddingly Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Chiddingly 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 Chiddingly Primary School?
Chiddingly Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Chiddingly Primary School?
Classes at Chiddingly Primary School average 25.8 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 Chiddingly Primary School?
Chiddingly Primary School has around 103 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Chiddingly Primary School?
7.3% of sessions were missed at Chiddingly Primary School in 2024/25. 17.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Chiddingly Primary School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Chiddingly 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 Chiddingly Primary School's term dates?
Chiddingly Primary School is a community 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 Chiddingly Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Chiddingly Primary School?
Chiddingly Primary School is at Muddles Green, Chiddingly, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6HN.
Sources: East Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)