These are the four best state primary schools in the villages north of Lewes, yet within East Sussex, close to West Sussex. They are small rural village schools, and up to fifteen miles apart, in Newick, Kingston, Barcombe and Cooksbridge. They are also among the top 15% of schools in the country, as determined by the Schoolsmith Score;
- Iford and Kingston CofE Primary School,
- Barcombe CofE Primary School,
- Hamsey Community Primary School, and
- Newick CofE Primary School.
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. That’s pretty much it. Hopefully, this comparison might shed a little more light.
There is also a partner review for prep schools in Brighton & Hove (not Lewes). And that can be found here (soon).
Age range, gender mix, and faith
All four schools teach children from Reception to Year 6, be that from age 4 or 5. But none of the schools has a nursery class.
Barcombe CofE Primary has after school care, whereas Iford & Kingston CofE Primary has before school care. Hamsey Community Primary and Newick CofE Primary provide access to both before and after school care from 7.30/7.45am to 5.30/6.00pm. In each case, care is provided by a mixture of school staff and external contractors.
As far as gender mix goes, they are all co-educational, as indeed are almost all state primary schools.
Three are church schools, each one Church of England. So RE will feature in their curricula. But, as Voluntary Controlled church schools it is the local authority (East Sussex), not the Church or the school, that controls admissions policies. Though Hamsey Community Primary is a community school, it still teaches a mandatory RE curriculum.
Admissions
In terms of admissions policy, please refer to the individual schools’ websites. All operate a catchment system. Barcombe CofE Primary, Hamsey Community Primary, and Newick CofE Primary are regularly oversubscribed for places in Reception.
Inspections
Ofsted inspectors consider Barcombe CofE Primary and Newick CofE Primary to be Outstanding schools, according to their latest inspections.
Iford and Kingston CofE Primary and Barcombe CofE Primary are Good schools.
Buildings and grounds
Charles Kingsley CofE Primary and Finchampstead CofE Primary are located in rural villages. Little surprise then that both occupy red-brick Victorian village school buildings, with more recent additions. Those additions are more extensive at Finchampstead CofE Primary. Charles Kingsley CofE Primary, perhaps, retaining more of its original character.
Greenfields Junior School is based also based in a village, Hartley Wintney, though in more recent purpose-built facilities. It also has a stylish contemporary extension. It has the most extensive grounds of the four schools; eight acres in all.
Class sizes and classes per year
All four schools are small, rural village schools;
There is;
- 1 school with four mixed age classes; Hamsey Community Primary,
- 1 school with five mixed-age classes; Barcombe CofE Primary,
- 2 schools with one class per year group; Iford and Kingston CofE Primary and Newick CofE Primary.
Average class sizes at three of the Lewes primary schools are 25-26 pupils. At Newick CofE Primary, however, classes average 30 pupils.
Facilities at Lewes state primary schools
They all have some specialist facilities to support their curricula, and they are similar. For sport facilities include playgrounds, a field, and a school hall.
Beyond the multi-purpose hall, specialist arts facilities at each school are limited.
Academic facilities at school are networked computers, and outdoor/environmental area, and a learning support area.
Academic curricula
These Lewes primary schools teach a broad curriculum in line with the National Curriculum. They teach subjects separately, using cross-curricular linking where appropriate.
Topic-based teaching has a higher profile at Iford and Kingston CofE Primary for the humanities subjects.
There may also be theme weeks and cross-curricular projects, such as ‘Breakout Days’ at Newick CofE Primary for subjects such as STEM and citizenship.
The curricula at the three church schools emphasise Christian 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 worship.
French is the preferred language at these schools, with most teaching it from Year 3. Barcombe CofE Primary teaches French from Year 2.
All four schools have educational trips and school visitors. And there is a residential trip for senior pupils at each school.
There is outdoor learning at each school, in particular for the youngest pupils. But more so at Newick CofE Primary where all year groups participate in Forest School and Garden School activities. There is also Forest School for all year groups at Barcombe CofE Primary.
Sport at Lewes state primary schools
Each school encourages participation in physical exercise by teaching around 10 different sports. For their commitment to sport, Barcombe CofE Primary and Hamsey Community Primary used to have School Games Mark Gold accreditations. Newick CofE Primary has a current Association for Physical Education (afPE) Quality Mark.
The arts at Lewes state primary schools
The schools all promote engagement with the arts on an individual and ensemble basis. For example, there is art, a choir, instrument learning, and dramatic performances at each school.
Pupils at these four Lewes state primary schools also benefit from a handful of 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 Lewes primary schools are all around the UK average. Results at Barcombe CofE Primary stand out. On a four-year average, it ranks in the top 4% of UK schools for attainment in Year 6 SATS.
As for pupil progress, again measured on four-year average from SATS results, Barcombe CofE Primary ranks in the top 11% nationally.
Choosing the best state primary school in Lewes
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 Lewes primary schools | Schoolsmith Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcombe Church of England Primary School | 71 |
| 2= | EIford and Kingston Church of England Primary School | 68 |
| 2= | Newick Church of England Primary School | 68 |
| 4 | Hamsey Community Primary School | 67 |
See also the best state primary schools in Haywards Heath, Wadhurst and Crowborough, Hastings, and Brighton and Hove
Why are these the best state primary schools in Lewes?
Schools that feature in these notes are those with the highest Schoolsmith Scores, not just in Lewes, 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…