These are the four best state primary schools within a ten-mile radius of Hastings, covering Winchelsea, Rye, St Leonards, Bexhill and up into The Weald as far as Battle. They are all small schools, two of them rural village schools. They are also among the top 15% of schools in the country, as determined by the Schoolsmith Score;
- Netherfield CofE Primary School,
- Ninfield CofE Primary School,
- St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School in St Leonards, and
- St Thomas’ CofE Primary School in Winchelsea.
The differences between primary schools are less obvious than prep schools, and deliberately so. State education is designed such that all children should receive the same curriculum irrespective of where they are taught, and who is teaching them. So, to differentiate, parents have traditionally looked to SATS results and Ofsted gradings. Beyond that, there is also a commonly held belief that Church schools are ‘better’ schools. And these are all Church schools. That’s pretty much it. Hopefully, this comparison might shed a little more light.
There is also a partner review for prep schools in Eastbourne and Hastings and the surrounding area. And that can be found here (soon).
Age range, gender mix, and faith
- Netherfield CofE Primary School; 5 to 11 years,
- Ninfield CofE Primary School; 4 to 11 years,
- St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School; 4 to 11 years,
- St Thomas’ CofE Primary School; 5 to 11 years.
They each have a Reception class, but none of them have a nursery class.
Netherfield CofE Primary and Ninfield CofE Primary both have a breakfast club. St Thomas’ CofE Primary and St Mary Star of the Sea both have wraparound care. A mix of school staff and external contractors provide the childcare onsite from 7.40/8.00am to 6.00pm.
As far as gender mix goes, they are all co-educational, as indeed are almost all state primary schools.
All four are church schools, three Church of England and one Catholic. Two, St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary and St Thomas’ CofE Primary are Voluntary Aided. Which means that faith may have a role in their admissions policies.
Admissions
In terms of admissions policy, please refer to the individual schools’ websites. All operate a catchment system operated by the East Sussex Education Authority.
But the faithful have some priority at the two Voluntary Aided church schools if they are oversubscribed for places in Reception. St Thomas’ CofE Primary tends not to be, but the other three schools are regularly oversubscribed.
Inspections
Ofsted inspectors consider Netherfield CofE Primary School to be Outstanding, according to its latest inspection. St Thomas’ CofE Primary and St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary are Good schools.
Having been a Good school, Ninfield CofE Primary was downgraded to Inadequate in 2022 for the quality of its leadership and management. The school is converting to an academy in 2023.
Buildings and grounds
St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary is based in a residential area of St Leonards. St Thomas’ CofE Primary is based in a residential area of Winchelsea, with view to The Channel. Ninfield and Netherfield CofE Primaries are in rural villages.
School buildings are purpose-built, post 1970s facilities. The exception is Ninfield CofE Primary which occupies a Victorian village school with contemporary extensions.
Class sizes and classes per year
They are all small schools. Ninfield, Netherfield, and St Thomas’ CofE Primaries all have five or six mixed age classes spanning the seven year groups. Only St Mary Star of the Sea has one class per year group.
Average class sizes at Hastings state primary schools range from 23 to 30 pupils. They are smallest at Netherfield CofE Primary, averaging 23 pupils. Top of the range is St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary, which averages 29-30 pupils per class. Ninfield and St Thomas’ CofE Primary Schools average 26-27 pupils per class.
Facilities at Hastings state primary schools
They all have some specialist facilities to support their curricula. For sport that includes playgrounds, and a school hall. Ninfield and Netherfield CofE Primaries also have a grass field. St Thomas’ CofE Primary has a grass field and a heated outdoor swimming pool.
The multi-purpose hall is the specialist arts facility at each school.
Academic facilities at each school include in-class library shelves, in-class computers, an outdoor learning/environmental area, and a learning support room. St Mary Star of the Sea also has a computer suite.
Academic curricula
These Hastings state primary schools teach a broad curriculum in line with the National Curriculum. They teach subjects separately, within a topic framework, using cross-curricular linking where appropriate.
The nature and extent of the linking varies. At Netherfield CofE Primary, it is science, history, geography, art and DT. At St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary, it is history and geography, and separately, art and DT. The St Thomas’ CofE Primary ‘Creative Curriculum’ links all subjects except maths, English and RE.
Curricula at all four schools emphasise Christian/Catholic social morality, particularly in lessons such as PSHE, Citizenship and in assemblies. RE, naturally, plays a prominent role in the curriculum as a core subject along with English and maths. And there is usually daily collective worship. St Mary Star of the Sea also helps prepare children for the Holy Sacraments.
All four schools teach a foreign language from Year 3. For three schools that language is French. St Mary Star of the Sea teaches Spanish for two years before switching to French for Years 5 and 6.
All schools have educational trips and visitors, and an adventure residential in Year 6. And they each include some element of outdoor learning in their curricula, particularly for their youngest pupils.
Sport at Hastings state primary schools
Each school encourages participation in physical exercise by teaching around 10 different sports. Provision is similar.
Unsurprisingly, given their size, no Hastings primary school has a sustained track record for sporting achievement in national competitions.
The arts at Hastings state primary schools
The schools all promote engagement with the arts on an individual and ensemble basis. There is art, a choir, instrument learning, and dramatic performances at each school. Arts provision is also similar.
Pupils at these four Hastings state primary schools also benefit from some lunchtime and after-school activities. There’s sport, of course. But there are also clubs for academic enrichment, hobbies, and arts.
Academic results
Academic results at these Hastings primary schools are all at or above the UK average. Furthermore, on a four-year average, three are in the top 30% of UK schools for attainment in Year 6 SATS.
The highest ranked school is St Thomas’ CofE Primary, which is in the top 4% nationally. Netherfield CofE Primary is in the top 12%.
Pupil progress results, by the same measure, are more variable. But Netherfield CofE Primary and Ninfield CofE Primary are both in the top 8% of UK schools.
Choosing the best state primary school in Hastings
The freedom to choose a state school is somewhat limited as applicants need to live within the school’s catchment area. But there may be a choice of more than one. Most Education Authorities offer the opportunity to select preferred schools, albeit from a limited list.
These schools are all among the top 15% best primary schools in the country. As I hope this note has shown, any one of them should be a preference.
| Rank | Best Hastings primary schools | Schoolsmith Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherfield Church of England Primary School | 70 |
| 2= | Ninfield Church of England Primary School | 67 |
| 2= | St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School | 67 |
| 2= | St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School | 67 |
See also the best state primary schools in Deal, Dover and Folkestone, Ashford, Cranbrook and Hawkshurst, Brighton and Hove, Lewes, and Wadhurst and Crowborough
Why are these the best state primary schools in Hastings?
Schools that feature in these notes are those with the highest Schoolsmith Scores, not just in Hastings, but nationwide. The Schoolsmith Score is an objective score that accounts for 50 different aspects of schooling, grouped into 5 broad categories. You can read more about them from the links below, and the Schoolsmith Score here.
- their achievements; academic, sporting and artistic,
- the breadth of the education they offer,
- the quality of teaching,
- their facilities,
- their look and feel.
Need more help?
By now you might be wondering what you should be thinking about when choosing a school? It happens to everyone. Why not try my 7 one minute quizzes for those starting their school search? Wood, trees, and all that…