School Chooser

Dallington Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England118 pupilsHeathfieldEast Sussex
School Chooser Score
44
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 18 to 74, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 27% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull118 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher18.7School workforce census

Dallington Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Heathfield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 118 pupils, 13 more than it has places for. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 44 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 27% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

The Street, Dallington, Heathfield, TN21 9NH01435 830335dallington.e-sussex.sch.ukMr Paul Cox headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 10 January 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

12 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 1158%
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 score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 44%44%20232024: 58%58%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: +8%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017East SussexEngland
Pupils tested122018151514
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%58%44%67%80%50%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0107.0103.0103.0104.0101.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0104.0102.0103.0102.0100.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score98.0104.094.0104.0106.0103.0103.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%80%50%87%80%64%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard58%79%61%73%87%57%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%75%61%73%87%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.7-1.8+0.8-0.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.7-2.1+0.2-1.9

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.

Full112 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
107% full

The school is full, with 7 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

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. Every child who applied got a place (10 offers for 15 places). 10 families put it down as their first choice and 10 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary15102310100%all offeredLA

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 roll118Census January 2026
Places105112% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%20 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size17.01 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)13%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls57 / 61
White British pupils93%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (7), language and communications needs (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll118109111113113113
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%12%9%12%14%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%1%3%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%15%8%12%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%1%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school3.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%5.0%5.7%6.5%2.6%5.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.1%3.6%4.0%5.0%1.9%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.4%1.7%1.5%0.8%1.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence3.1%11.2%16.0%18.0%5.1%18.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.90.00.90.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers6.3full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher18.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,307
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.12024/25

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£7,731England £7,738. Total £843k
Income per pupil£7,330England £7,697. Total £799k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,240England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £19k, £172 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£44kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,731spent 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 m112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Rother
Nearest bus stop20 mSchool, 3 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
Punnetts Town Community Primary School and NurseryCouncil2.6 miles121No overall grade 202433Compare
Netherfield CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.2 miles126Report card 202628Compare
Burwash CofE SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles158Outstanding 202489Compare
All Saints' and St Richard's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.8 miles86Report card 202618Compare
Parkside Community Primary SchoolCouncil4.3 miles225Report card 202664Compare
Herstmonceux Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England4.4 miles203Good 202232Compare
Maynards Green Community Primary SchoolCouncil4.8 miles205Good 202048Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Dallington Church of England Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats27%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 44 is 12 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 56 · highest 93100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 44 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 44% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 74. 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%in line
-0.03
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.13
DfE progress measure; 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 96 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 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 Dallington Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Dallington Church of England Primary School scores 44 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 27% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 74, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

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

Ofsted rated Dallington Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 10 January 2023.

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

In summer 2025, 58% 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 Dallington Church of England Primary School have?

118 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 112% full.

Is Dallington Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 7 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

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

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 3% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

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

The average class had 17.0 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
The Street, Dallington, Heathfield, TN21 9NH
Telephone
01435 830335
Website
www.dallington.e-sussex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Paul Cox
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
Catsfield & Crowhurst
Constituency
Bexhill and Battle
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114498 · LAESTAB 8453017 · UKPRN 10073782

Where these figures come from