Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Ditchling
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ditchling, part of Hurst Education Trust Limited. It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 12th-highest of the 132 schools in East Sussex with published results, and 2,629th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 120% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 90% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in East Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 88% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School are The Windmills Junior School (1.1 miles, Good, 81% reading, 79% maths); Hassocks Infant School (1.4 miles, Good); Birchwood Grove Community Primary School, Burgess Hill (2.2 miles, Good, 87% reading, 82% maths); and London Meed Community Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths).
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
The Windmills Junior SchoolHassocks Infant SchoolBirchwood Grove Community Primary School, Burgess HillLondon Meed Community Primary School
The trust
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is one of 14 schools run by Hurst Education Trust Limited, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
86 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (94%).
Who goes there
5.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 32 pupils (13.2%) received SEN support and 3 (1.2%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hassocks Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Bull (opposite), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 16 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, drug offences and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2022. Before that, as Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School (URN 114500), it was rated Good in December 2017.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a nurturing environment where children thrive academically and emotionally. Pupils develop into confident, resilient learners through excellent teaching, strong behaviour routines and extensive opportunities to take responsibility. The school has particular strengths in phonics and reading, and provides personalised support that helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well.
Key Strengths
- Pupils love attending school and behave extremely well with strong relationships between staff and pupils
- Ambitious curriculum is implemented effectively with careful progression of knowledge and skills
- Excellent phonics teaching and early reading support mean most pupils are confident readers
- Strong support for pupils with SEND enables most to access the full curriculum
- School prioritises personal development and respect for difference, celebrating diversity
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils are not given enough opportunities to practise the fundamentals of writing
- Teachers occasionally overlook errors in spelling, punctuation and handwriting in a small number of pupils' work
- The school needs to define a stronger approach to developing pupils' foundational writing skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Digital leaders plan and lead weekly assemblies, school council involvement in mental health strategy design, Year 6 end of year tea party with cooking and hosting, younger pupils perform music at school events
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. The school is well-led with a strong, ambitious curriculum where pupils achieve well and behave excellently.
At a Glance
5.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
86 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 declined from 88% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 79% to 94% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.6
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
31.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School.
- Kudize Club @ Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see East Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Ditchling St Margaret'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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ditchling St Margaret'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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School for 2023 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
120%
Over capacity
201 pupils
168 places
33 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ditchling
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ditchling
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
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
14.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
243
Total Pupils
111
Boys
132
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,684
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1034k
Total funding
£15k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
6.6%
Persistent absence
181
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
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in May 2022. Before that, as Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School (URN 114500), it was rated Good in December 2017.
What is the catchment area for Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ditchling St Margaret'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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 120% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School average 30.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School has around 243 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Ditchling St Margaret'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.
Does Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kudize Club @ Ditchling (St Margaret's) Church of England Primary School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 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 Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School?
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School is at Lewes Road, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)