St Mary's School, Heathfield
St Mary's School is a special school for boys aged 9 to 16 in Heathfield, part of The Sabden Multi Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's School in detail
The trust
St Mary's School is one of 4 schools run by The Sabden Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 70% to a further education college.
Who goes there
55.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Mary's School has an education, health and care plan (76 of 78 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
St Mary's School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 81 places, 86 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Mary's School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 21 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Mary's School issued 118 suspensions, 140.5 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2015 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
55.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Speech and language, Autism +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with St Mary's School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
78 pupils
81 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Heathfield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Heathfield
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,496
Applications
4,990
Got 1st preference
86.3%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
76
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Mary's School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 81 places, 86 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
78
Total Pupils
78
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
5.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£56,180
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
30.9%
Overall absence
70.4%
Persistent absence
98
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about St Mary's School
What are GCSE results like at St Mary's School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Mary's School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 6.6. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Mary's School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's School is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Mary's School?
St Mary's School has around 78 pupils on roll. 55% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Mary's School have specialist SEN provision?
St Mary's School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties: 81 places, 86 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at St Mary's School?
30.9% of sessions were missed at St Mary's School in 2024/25. 70.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 St Mary's School?
St Mary's School is at Horam, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 0BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)