Dudley Infant Academy, Hastings
Dudley Infant Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Hastings, part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. It was 95% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
Dudley Infant Academy in detail
Dudley Infant Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Dudley Infant Academy is a truly exciting place for children to attend and we are very proud of the learning opportunities we provide to all of them during their three years with us. We are pleased to welcome parents and their children to our wonderful academy."
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 19 November 2026 and an open evening on Friday 18 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in East Sussex
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Dudley Infant Academy
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Dudley Infant Academy as their first choice and 73 named it as one of their preferences, for 33 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 Dudley Infant Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Dudley Infant Academy are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hastings (0.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 53% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles); All Saints CofE Junior Academy (0.2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths); and Ark Castledown Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 82% maths).
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, HastingsSacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolAll Saints CofE Junior AcademyArk Castledown Primary Academy
The trust
Dudley Infant Academy is one of 28 schools run by Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
53 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Dudley Infant Academy (as of September 2025): 100% 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 (89%).
Who goes there
4.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (7%).
Staffing
Dudley Infant Academy had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ore Rail Station, about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Dudley Road (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 390 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Dudley Infant Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Dudley Infant Academy are Mulberry Academy Hastings (1.3 miles) and Ark Alexandra Academy (1.6 miles).
Sources: 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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2019, 7 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Dudley Infant Academy is a welcoming, happy school where children feel safe and loved. Staff know pupils and their families exceptionally well and provide the support each child needs to thrive. The school excels at teaching reading and developing children's character through its values-based approach and enriching experiences like visits from authors and trips to local galleries.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading programme with expert support for struggling pupils - most become fluent readers by end of Year 2
- Broad and ambitious curriculum with staff who have secure subject knowledge and explain learning clearly
- Excellent character development through school values and enrichment opportunities like planetarium visits and art gallery trips
- Strong support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
- Effective attendance support - staff understand families well and act immediately on any decline
Areas for Improvement
- Checks on pupils' understanding during lessons are not carried out consistently
- Teaching is not always adapted based on what pupils know, which means some develop gaps in understanding
- Activities are not always well-designed to help pupils understand concepts securely before moving to more difficult ideas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, friendship ambassadors, fundraising events, school clubs, planetarium visits, trips to local art galleries, trips to places of historic interest, author visits
Dudley Infant Academy has maintained good standards and is a happy, welcoming school where pupils feel safe and achieve well across the curriculum. The school has a broad, ambitious curriculum and prioritises reading, with most pupils becoming fluent readers by the end of Year 2.
At a Glance
25.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
53 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.2
Avg class size
28.2
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Dudley Infant Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Dudley Infant Academy.
- Fireflies childcare limitedAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Dudley Infant Academy 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Dudley Infant Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Dudley Infant Academy 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
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 16 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Dudley Infant Academy
Will you get a place at Dudley Infant Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Dudley Infant Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Dudley Infant Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Dudley Infant Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from East Sussex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Dudley Infant Academy 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
95%
Near capacity
171 pupils
180 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hastings
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hastings
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
17.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
169
Total Pupils
86
Boys
83
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
15.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,570
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,717
Per pupil
£1104k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
14.9%
Persistent absence
121
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
Dudley Infant Academy
Questions parents ask about Dudley Infant Academy
What is Dudley Infant Academy's Ofsted rating?
Dudley Infant Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Dudley Infant Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Dudley Infant Academy 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 Dudley Infant Academy?
Dudley Infant Academy was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Dudley Infant Academy?
Classes at Dudley Infant Academy average 28.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Dudley Infant Academy?
Dudley Infant Academy has around 169 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Dudley Infant Academy?
6% of sessions were missed at Dudley Infant Academy in 2024/25. 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Dudley Infant Academy?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Dudley Infant Academy 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 Dudley Infant Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Fireflies childcare limited (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 Dudley Infant Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 16 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Dudley Infant Academy?
Dudley Infant Academy is at Harold Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5NJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)