St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Playden Rye
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
St Michael's is a caring school where children feel safe and valued. The school excels at teaching reading, with strong phonics instruction that gets most pupils reading fluently quickly. Beyond academics, the school offers wonderful opportunities to develop well-rounded children through enrichment activities, clubs, and leadership roles that help them develop important skills for life.
Key Strengths
- Reading is a particular strength - phonics is taught accurately and pupils become fluent readers quickly
- Behaviour and attitudes are good - pupils are polite, courteous, and the school is calm and purposeful
- Strong personal development with a range of enriching experiences including trips, drama activities, and leadership roles
- Early years provision is good - children are well prepared for Year 1 with strong communication skills
- School knows its pupils well and quickly identifies those with additional needs, including SEND pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment is not always precise - teachers don't consistently identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, so teaching doesn't address these gaps effectively
- Some teaching activities are not carefully selected and don't account for gaps in prior knowledge, limiting pupils' progress
- New subject leaders lack sufficient understanding of the ambitious new curriculum, causing inconsistencies in how it's taught
- Pupils have historic gaps in prior learning that haven't been addressed, affecting their ability to build on previous knowledge
- Older pupils are not always well enough prepared for their next steps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with trusted adults available to address pupils' concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Drama club, construction club, school performances, trips to local museums and theatres, author visits, leadership roles including librarian, house captain, school councillor
St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a warm and friendly school where pupils feel happy and safe, though the quality of education requires improvement as the school works through significant changes and gaps in pupils' prior learning.
At a Glance
26.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 62% to 33%. Maths has declined from 69% to 33%. Writing has declined from 77% to 0%.
Class Sizes
20.3
Avg class size
14.5
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
71%
Available places
75 pupils
105 capacity
30 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Playden Rye
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Playden Rye
Admissions Demand - East Sussex
Places available
5,643
Applications
4,708
Got 1st preference
91.2%
Got preferred school
98.0%
Primary admissions across East Sussex (2025/26)
Inspection History(7)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.59741%
Overall absence
20%
Persistent absence
80
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Michael's Church of England Primary School
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