School Chooser

Little Common School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy670 pupilsNurseryBexhill-on-SeaEast Sussex
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 64 to 89
Out of 100. Better than 73% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, March 2020
Reached the expected level at 1168%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull670 pupils, 630 places
Pupils per teacher22.5School workforce census

Little Common School is a converter academy in Bexhill-on-Sea for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 670 pupils, 40 more than it has places for. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 73% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2020.

Shepherds Close, Little Common Primary School, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 4SQ01424 842297littlecommon.e-sussex.sch.ukMrs Louise Moor headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 March 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall. A later, shorter visit on 4 June 2025 said: “Standards maintained”.

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

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
4 June 2025UngradedStandards maintained

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 79%79%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 81%81%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2017: -11%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†East SussexEngland
Pupils tested908695899086
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%71%81%69%81%79%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%12%11%19%19%12%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0107.0108.0105.0108.0107.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0106.0106.0107.0108.0108.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0106.0107.0110.0107.0103.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard80%84%91%71%86%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%83%88%91%89%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)80%81%93%90%90%91%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.9+0.3+1.3+1.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.9+2.3+2.1+2.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%53%82%58%59%57%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%75%81%71%86%86%

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.

† These results are for Little Common School, the school this one replaced in October 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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
50%73%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
68%68%
No gapEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
5%11%
Gap 6 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.

Nearly full618 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.4 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 1.4 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year. 101 families put it down as their first choice and 85 of them got in (84%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary901011549084%1.4 milesLA

What a home within 1.4 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.4 miles of the school£400,000half sold for £280k to £520k
Homes sold776December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+11%a typical home in the district sells for £360,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll670Census January 2026
Places630106% full
Pupils from low-income families14%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%114 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.719 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils5%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£128,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls343 / 327
White British pupils88%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (43), Autistic spectrum disorder (41), language and communications needs (17), Specific learning difficulty (14), Vision impairment (5), Hearing impairment (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024
Pupils on roll670622617
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%16%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.42024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.2%5.6%5.3%6.6%3.2%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.2%4.3%5.7%2.9%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.4%0.9%0.8%0.3%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.0%12.9%11.9%17.9%5.0%8.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.42.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions20

† These attendance figures are for Little Common School, the school this one replaced in October 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers29.1full-time equivalent, 34 people
Pupils per teacher22.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers97%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants21.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,944
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.02024/25

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£5,805England £7,128. Total £3.6m
Income per pupil£6,150England £7,587. Total £3.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,740England £3,405
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £493k, £792 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£214kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,805spent 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 m11712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate44 per 1,000 people51% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Rother
Nearest bus stop130 mWheatsheaf, 9 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
Glenleigh Park Primary AcademyAcademy1.2 miles334Good 202347Compare
King Offa Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles402Good 202044Compare
All Saints Church of England Primary School, BexhillChurch of England1.6 miles282Not inspected16Compare
Chantry Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles195Good 20235Compare
St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles420No overall grade 202591Compare
St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic2.4 miles208No overall grade 202572Compare
Ninfield Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.8 miles129Inadequate 202219Compare
Pebsham Primary AcademyAcademy2.8 miles190No overall grade 202539Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Little Common School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats73%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 80 is 31 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 8 · middle 49 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 64 to 89. 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
+0.09
2025 results; 90 pupils
Ofsted inspection12% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)well above
+0.31
Ofsted grade, 6.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
0.00
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 90 pupils
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 549 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
0.00
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 90 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 Little Common School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Little Common School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 73% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 64 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Little Common School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Little Common School outstanding at its last full inspection on 11 March 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Little Common School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Little Common School have?

670 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 630 places, so it is 106% full.

Is Little Common School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.4 miles away. 101 families put it down as their first choice and 85 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 Little Common School?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 12% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Little Common School?

The average class had 29.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 5% of classes 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
Shepherds Close, Little Common Primary School, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 4SQ
Telephone
01424 842297
Website
www.littlecommon.e-sussex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Louise Moor
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust (28 schools)
Local authority
East Sussex
Ward
Bexhill Kewhurst
Constituency
Bexhill and Battle
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2023 (academy converter)
URN
149894 · LAESTAB 8452099 · UKPRN 10092606
Formerly
Little Common School

Where these figures come from