Find the best primary schools in Rother. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Rother has 32 primary schools, all in East Sussex council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 32, 24 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Rother primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and Nursery | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| St Thomas' Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Burwash CofE School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Icklesham Church of England Primary School and Nursery | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Brede Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.0 / 5 |
| Northiam Church of England Primary School and Nursery |
There are 32 primary schools in Rother.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Rother, that council is East Sussex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 32 primary schools in Rother, 24 have a religious character: 22 Church of England, 1 Methodist and 1 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Hurst Green Church of England Primary School and Nursery (4.5), St Thomas' Church of England Aided Primary School (4.3), Burwash CofE School (4.2), St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School (4.2) and Icklesham Church of England Primary School and Nursery (4.2). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 32 schools here have a rating.
| Church of England |
| 3.9 / 5 |
| Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Sedlescombe Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Little Common School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Etchingham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Peasmarsh Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Battle and Langton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Beckley Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Catsfield Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Westfield School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Stonegate Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Glenleigh Park Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Crowhurst CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Pebsham Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Staplecross Methodist Primary School | Methodist | 3.4 / 5 |
| King Offa Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Netherfield CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Bodiam Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Dallington Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Rye Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Ticehurst and Flimwell Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| Salehurst Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| St Michael's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.6 / 5 |
| Chantry Community Primary School | Mixed | 1.2 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.