Park Mead Primary School, Hailsham
Park Mead Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Hailsham. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 67th-highest of the 132 schools in East Sussex with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- 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
Park Mead Primary School in detail
Park Mead Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at Park Mead Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% 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 (79% in reading, 71% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Park Mead Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 9 families put Park Mead Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Park Mead Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Park Mead Primary School are Grovelands Community Primary School (1.8 miles); Hellingly Community Primary School (2.2 miles); Hawkes Farm Academy (2.3 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths); and White House Academy (2.5 miles, Good, 68% reading, 86% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Park Mead Primary School.
Grovelands Community Primary SchoolHellingly Community Primary SchoolHawkes Farm AcademyWhite House Academy
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Park Mead Primary School (as of September 2025): 79% would recommend the school, 79% say their child is happy there and 36% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (36%).
Who goes there
1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 23 pupils (25.6%) received SEN support and 2 (2.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Park Mead Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Berwick (Sussex) Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Village Shop (adjacent), 360 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, other theft and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Park Mead Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1.1 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
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 June 2015, 11 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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Staff have created a friendly and nurturing environment in this small, inclusive school. They know pupils well. This helps pupils feel safe, happy and valued. Pupils know that the school will help them if they have a concern. They especially appreciate the 'worry boxes', where they can post their thoughts. Pupils are respectful to each other and staff. They are kind and caring. One pupil said, 'We are one big team. We look after each other.' Pupils understand the school's values of respect, resilience and responsibility. They demonstrate these in all areas of school life.
Pupils enjoy learning and undertaking challenging tasks. They talk excitedly about their lessons and other educational experiences. The school has high expectations for what pupils should learn and remember. Pupils rise to these expectations and are keen to do their best.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school and the federation it is part of have worked skilfully together to design an ambitious curriculum. It is clearly sequenced and planned so that new concepts build on prior learning. The school has high expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff provide the right support for these pupils. This helps pupils with SEND embed their knowledge alongside their classmates. The school has identified the important knowledge and subject content that they want all pupils to learn and remember. This helps teachers know what to teach and to explain curriculum content clearly. At times, teachers do not routinely check what pupils know carefully enough. As a result, some activities are not adapted as well as they could be in order to give pupils the help they need to achieve the task set. This means that, on some occasions, pupils do not learn as well as they could.
The curriculum in the early years is engaging and meaningful. There is a sharp focus on developing children's communication and language skills. Children learn through stories, rhymes and songs. They develop their knowledge through imaginative play and purposeful adult interaction. This helps children build strong foundations for the next stage of their education.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 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 82% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 71% to 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.5
Avg class size
19.5
Infant (KS1)
25.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Park Mead Primary School
Sports Day
15 Jun 2026
Oaks Forest School
21 May 2026
Maples Visit from the South East Rivers Trust
21 May 2026
Maples Forest School
6 May 2026
Chestnuts Forest School
29 Apr 2026
Willows Forest School
23 Apr 2026
From Park Mead Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Park Mead Primary School
Term dates
Park Mead 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 Park Mead Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Park Mead 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Park Mead Primary School
Will you get a place at Park Mead Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Park Mead Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Park Mead Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Park Mead 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 Park Mead 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
84%
Available places
88 pupils
105 places
17 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hailsham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hailsham
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(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
27.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
90
Total Pupils
49
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
10.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,427
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,804
Per pupil
£692k
Total funding
£26k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
16.7%
Persistent absence
84
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Park Mead Primary School
What are SATs results like at Park Mead Primary School?
Of the pupils at Park Mead Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 82% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Park Mead Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Park Mead Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Park Mead Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Park Mead 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 Park Mead Primary School?
Park Mead Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at Park Mead Primary School?
Classes at Park Mead Primary School average 22.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Park Mead Primary School?
Park Mead Primary School has around 90 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Park Mead Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Park Mead Primary School in 2024/25. 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Park Mead Primary School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Park Mead 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 Park Mead Primary School's term dates?
Park Mead 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 Park Mead Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Park Mead Primary School?
Park Mead Primary School is at Michelham Priory Road, Upper Dicker, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3QP.
Sources: East Sussex term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)