School Chooser

Oakwood Primary Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy300 pupilsNurseryEastbourneEast Sussex
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 33
Out of 100. Better than 37% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2022
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance93.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families36%Far more than most schools
Places120 spare300 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher19.5School workforce census

Oakwood Primary Academy is a sponsored academy in Eastbourne for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 300 pupils and room for 420. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 37% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Magnolia Drive, Eastbourne, BN22 0SS01323 501251oakwoodprimaryacademy.orgMrs Hannah Morgan headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 11 October 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

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

Reached the expected level at 1157%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 42%42%20172018: 62%62%20182019: 51%51%20192023: 37%37%20232024: 53%53%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +15%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017East SussexEngland
Pupils tested445756595557
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%53%37%51%62%42%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%0%4%5%2%4%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0102.0102.0101.0103.0101.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0100.098.0102.0102.0101.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0100.0101.0101.0100.0102.0103.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard68%68%66%66%69%54%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard64%63%43%66%75%61%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)68%68%67%76%71%56%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.4+1.0+0.3-0.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.7+0.5-0.3-0.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged57%48%28%41%61%34%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged56%57%50%60%63%50%

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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
57%56%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
60%53%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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 places259 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
62% full

161 places were empty (38% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 15% 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 (33 offers for 60 places). 31 families put it down as their first choice and 32 of them got in (103%).

EntryPlacesPut it firstApplied at allGot a placeFirst choices who got inHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60315133103%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 roll300Census January 2026
Places42071% full
Pupils from low-income families35%36% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English20%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%40 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.310 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)42%£165,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls148 / 152
White British pupils70%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), Moderate learning difficulty (5), emotional and mental health (5), Specific learning difficulty (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll300304324322322375
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals35%36%41%46%49%43%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language20%18%15%13%13%14%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%12%12%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%3%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils17.12024/25, 2 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.8%7.7%7.9%6.9%5.4%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.2%5.8%5.2%5.4%3.6%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.9%2.6%1.5%1.8%2.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.5%26.0%25.3%20.8%16.5%13.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate17.116.713.75.35.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions21201

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.0full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher19.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants11.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,532
Teachers who left in the year33%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22024/25

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£7,274England £7,128. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£7,767England £7,587. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,236England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £158k, £548 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£142kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,274spent 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 m34712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate80 per 1,000 people13% lower than the England average
Typical house price£277,000Eastbourne
Nearest bus stop230 mAcacia Road, 13 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
Parkland Infant SchoolAcademy720 m178Report card 202615Compare
Parkland Junior SchoolAcademy720 m243Good 202034Compare
Heron Park Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles303Good 20226Compare
Willingdon Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles421Good 202441Compare
Shinewater Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles393Report card 202617Compare
Stone Cross SchoolCouncil1.3 miles419Good 202340Compare
Ocklynge Junior SchoolAcademy1.4 miles720No overall grade 202421Compare
West Rise Primary School and NurseryCouncil1.6 miles607Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Oakwood Primary Academy 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.

Beats37%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 9 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 27 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Oakwood Primary 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
Peacehaven Heights AcademyAcademy11.9 miles339No overall grade 202450Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 10 to 33. 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
-0.21
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.16
DfE progress measure; 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 223 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 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 Oakwood Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Oakwood Primary Academy scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 37% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 33, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Oakwood Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Oakwood Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 11 October 2022.

How good are Oakwood Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Oakwood Primary Academy have?

300 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 71% full.

Is Oakwood Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 161 places were empty in 2024/25 (38% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Oakwood Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.2% 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 Oakwood Primary Academy?

The average class had 25.3 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
Magnolia Drive, Eastbourne, BN22 0SS
Telephone
01323 501251
Website
www.oakwoodprimaryacademy.org
Headteacher
Mrs Hannah Morgan
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Aurora Academies Trust (7 schools)
Local authority
East Sussex
Ward
Ratton
Constituency
Eastbourne
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2012 (new provision)
URN
138391 · LAESTAB 8452002 · UKPRN 10038349
Formerly
Oakwood School

Where these figures come from