School Chooser

Hawkes Farm Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy328 pupilsHailshamEast Sussex
School Chooser Score
23
Below
similar schools
Likely range 13 to 39
Out of 100. Better than 34% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, November 2024
Reached the expected level at 1174%England 63%
Attendance93.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families28%About the same as most schools in England
Places92 spare328 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher18.8School workforce census

Hawkes Farm Academy is a sponsored academy in Hailsham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 328 pupils and room for 420. About 28 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 34% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Hawks Road, Hailsham, BN27 1ND01323 841466hawkesfarmacademy.orgMrs Isobel Miskelly headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 19 November 2024, 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”
Good
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

58 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1174%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 54%54%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 66%66%20192023: 59%59%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 74%74%2025
Since 2017: +20%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017East SussexEngland
Pupils tested586059586057
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%57%59%66%63%54%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%3%3%12%12%4%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0105.0105.0104.0104.0102.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0103.0106.0104.0102.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0103.0106.0105.0105.0103.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard79%68%66%71%70%65%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard76%77%71%90%83%68%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)79%65%68%84%77%77%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.7-0.9+0.1-0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.5+0.9+1.2-0.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged68%42%40%67%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged78%60%66%63%57%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
68%78%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
66%85%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%5%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places336 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
80% full

84 places were empty (20% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 8% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 (39 offers for 60 places). 26 families put it down as their first choice and 26 of them got in (100%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60269539100%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 roll328Census January 2026
Places42078% full
Pupils from low-income families28%28% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%75 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.911 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)26%£134,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls179 / 149
White British pupils91%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (46), Autistic spectrum disorder (19), emotional and mental health (13), Specific learning difficulty (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll328332365372368400
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%28%26%24%20%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%3%3%3%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%14%8%10%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school16.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%5.8%5.5%5.5%2.9%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%3.7%3.3%4.1%1.8%2.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%2.0%2.3%1.4%1.1%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence16.5%12.4%11.4%10.5%5.3%5.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.07.74.66.54.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00010

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.4full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher18.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,458
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.42024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£3,887England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,597England £7,587. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,791England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £93k, £276 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£908kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£3,887spent 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 m16912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate103 per 1,000 people13% higher than the England average
Typical house price£380,000Wealden
Nearest bus stop100 mLansdowne Road, 21 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
Grovelands Community Primary SchoolAcademy0.6 miles694Good 2020Compare
Hailsham AcademyAcademy0.7 miles1,577Inadequate 20230Compare
Hellingly Community Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles195Good 2021Compare
White House AcademyAcademy0.9 miles190Good 201934Compare
Thornton Grove AcademyAcademy1.1 miles253Not inspectedCompare
Park Mead Primary SchoolCouncil2.3 miles90Not inspected34Compare
Chiddingly Primary SchoolCouncil3.1 miles103Not inspected37Compare
Herstmonceux Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.1 miles203Good 202232Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Hawkes Farm Academy with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats34%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 23 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 33 · highest 89100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Hawkes Farm Academy, 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
Chyngton SchoolAcademy8.8 miles332Report card 202638Compare

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: 13 to 39. 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
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 58 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 1.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.26
DfE progress measure; 58 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 309 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 58 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 Hawkes Farm Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Hawkes Farm Academy scores 23 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 34% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 13 to 39, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Hawkes Farm Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Hawkes Farm Academy not judged at its last full inspection on 19 November 2024.

How good are Hawkes Farm Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 74% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Hawkes Farm Academy have?

328 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 78% full.

Is Hawkes Farm Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 84 places were empty in 2024/25 (20% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Hawkes Farm Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Hawkes Farm Academy?

The average class had 24.9 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
Hawks Road, Hailsham, BN27 1ND
Telephone
01323 841466
Website
hawkesfarmacademy.org
Headteacher
Mrs Isobel Miskelly
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
STEP Academy Trust (19 schools)
Local authority
East Sussex
Ward
Hailsham North
Constituency
Sussex Weald
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2016 (new provision)
URN
143119 · LAESTAB 8452020 · UKPRN 10057572
Formerly
Hawkes Farm Primary School

Where these figures come from