St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School, Hartfield
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Hartfield. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 111th-highest of the 132 schools in East Sussex with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 77% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- 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
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School in detail
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include ukulele, guitar and art.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% 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 100% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 7 families put St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 16 named it as one of their preferences, for 7 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School are St Michael's Primary School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, 71% reading, 71% maths); St John's Church of England Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 79% reading, 83% maths); Groombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary School (3.2 miles, Good, 84% reading, 79% maths); and Forest Row Church of England Primary School and Nursery (3.3 miles, Good, 64% reading, 59% maths).
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Michael's Primary SchoolSt John's Church of England Primary SchoolGroombridge St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolForest Row Church of England Primary School and Nursery
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 80% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (80%).
Who goes there
16% 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 (88%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 19 pupils (23.5%) received SEN support and 3 (3.7%) 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.
Staffing
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashurst (Kent) Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church Street (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School issued 1 suspension, 1.3 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2016, 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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a warm, welcoming school where children thrive. Pupils achieve well across all subjects and develop strong reading and maths skills. The school creates a joyful environment where children play together, behave respectfully, and develop a real sense of compassion for their community through meaningful projects.
Key Strengths
- Pupils behave exceptionally well and are respectful, with clear behaviour expectations managed in a caring way
- Strong teaching of reading and mathematics, with pupils becoming confident, fluent readers and applying maths skills across subjects
- Well-sequenced, engaging curriculum that meets pupils' needs and interests, developed collaboratively across the school federation
- Positive approach to supporting pupils' emotional wellbeing and behaviour management
- Meaningful community and global projects that develop pupils' moral understanding and compassion
Areas for Improvement
- Adaptive teaching approaches for pupils with SEND are not fully embedded in some subjects, affecting how well these pupils learn the intended curriculum
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff showing keen interest in pupils' welfare and the school being a place where pupils are happy and safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest activities at local farm, visits to local care homes, community and global projects, artwork creation for local organisations, breakfast and after-school clubs
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School has maintained its good standards since the previous inspection. Pupils are happy, safe, and achieve well across a broad range of subjects in this welcoming school.
At a Glance
16.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 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 100% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 83% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 75% to 50% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
20.3
Avg class size
16.0
Infant (KS1)
24.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Forest School with Willow Class Term 1
24 Sep 2026
Forest School with Lilac Class Term 1
17 Sep 2026
Celebrating 100 Years of Winnie the Pooh at Hartfield Village Fete
12 Sep 2026
Sports Day
17 Jul 2026
The Queen Consort Visits Pooh Bridge
10 Jul 2026
The Big One Hundred
3 Jul 2026
From St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Term dates
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, 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
Check free transport to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary the Virgin 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
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.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary the Virgin 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 St Mary the Virgin 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
77%
Available places
81 pupils
105 places
24 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hartfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hartfield
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
19
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
27.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
81
Total Pupils
45
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
9.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,290
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,055
Per pupil
£632k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
16.0%
Persistent absence
75
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 63% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary the Virgin 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School average 20.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School has around 81 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 16% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary the Virgin 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary the Virgin Church of England 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. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School?
St Mary the Virgin Church of England Primary School is at High Street, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4AA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)