School Chooser

Bodiam Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England85 pupilsRobertsbridgeEast Sussex
School Chooser Score
23
Below
similar schools
Likely range 8 to 55, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 28% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, July 2025
Reached the expected level at 1136%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families25%About the same as most schools in England
Places20 spare85 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher16.5School workforce census

Bodiam Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Robertsbridge for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 85 pupils and room for 105. About 25 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 23 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 28% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Castle Road, Bodiam, Robertsbridge, TN32 5UH01580 830342bodiamceschool.co.ukMrs Cherane Marshall headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 8 July 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

11 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1136%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 56%56%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 50%50%20192023: 32%32%20232024: 67%67%20242025: 36%36%2025
Since 2017: -20%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017East SussexEngland
Pupils tested1161912129
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths36%67%32%50%67%56%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%5%17%8%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0103.0103.0106.0101.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0106.098.0103.0108.0100.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0103.098.0102.0106.0101.0103.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard64%83%68%58%75%56%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard82%100%42%58%92%67%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)55%83%58%58%75%78%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4-0.7+3.1+0.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.4-1.3+5.3-0.6

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places70 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
67% full

35 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 17% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 9.0 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 9.0 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 14 families put it down as their first choice and 13 of them got in (93%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1514291593%9.0 milesLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll85Census January 2026
Places10581% full
Pupils from low-income families25%25% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%12 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size23.73 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)25%£32,550 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls40 / 45
White British pupils80%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (4), Specific learning difficulty (4), emotional and mental health (2), language and communications needs (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll857067808487
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals25%21%27%20%19%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%6%10%14%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%7.9%6.3%8.3%3.0%3.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.3%5.6%5.1%7.5%2.5%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%2.2%1.2%0.8%0.5%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.3%18.8%15.7%26.9%6.4%3.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers5.2full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher16.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,695
Teachers who left in the year52%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.32024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,535England £7,738. Total £667k
Income per pupil£8,846England £7,697. Total £619k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,931England £3,480
Money in reserve22%A lot put by: £139k, £1,980 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£48kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,535spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m812 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate53 per 1,000 people42% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Rother
Nearest bus stop210 mLevetts Lane, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Staplecross Methodist Primary SchoolMethodist2.0 miles88No overall grade 202525Compare
Sandhurst Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles179Not inspected60Compare
Salehurst Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.0 miles125Good 20228Compare
Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and NurseryAcademy3.0 miles140Not inspected79Compare
Hawkhurst Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.1 miles192Good 202361Compare
Northiam Church of England Primary School and NurseryAcademy3.2 miles159Not inspected77Compare
Beckley Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England4.5 miles83Good 202439Compare
Benenden Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England4.6 miles213Good 202286Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bodiam Church of England Primary School with the 43 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 43 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats28%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 23 is 20 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 44 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 43 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bodiam Church of England Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Pluckley Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy15.1 miles82Not inspected94Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 23 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 23% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 8 to 55. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.14
2025 and 2023 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.09
Ofsted grade, 1.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.14
DfE progress measure; 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 63 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.13
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Bodiam Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Bodiam Church of England Primary School scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 28% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 8 to 55, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Bodiam Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bodiam Church of England Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 8 July 2025.

How good are Bodiam Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 36% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Bodiam Church of England Primary School have?

85 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 81% full.

Is Bodiam Church of England Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 9.0 miles away. 14 families put it down as their first choice and 13 of them got in. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Bodiam Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bodiam Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 23.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Castle Road, Bodiam, Robertsbridge, TN32 5UH
Telephone
01580 830342
Website
www.bodiamceschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Cherane Marshall
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chichester
Local authority
East Sussex
Ward
Northern Rother
Constituency
Bexhill and Battle
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114529 · LAESTAB 8453076 · UKPRN 10073761

Where these figures come from