Heron Park Primary Academy

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 2 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Dallington Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, BN22 9EEOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Heron Park Primary Academy is a primary school in Eastbourne for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 214 schools in East Sussex. It ranks 11th of 12 primary schools in Eastbourne. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 24 May 2022, report published 18 July 2022

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 May 2022

Pupils are proud of their school. They explain that everyone is welcome 'because of our values'. Pupils try hard to show these values of being respectful, curious, independent, resilient and aspirational. They are delighted when these positive behaviours are spotted and recognised by nominations, especially from their friends. Pupils are happy at school. Mostly, they get along well together. Bullying is rare, but sometimes pupils can be unkind. When this happens, teachers help resolve things quickly. Pupils trust staff to deal with any concerns that they may have, and this helps them to feel safe. They are reassured by the presence of worry boxes to help them raise any problems. Pupils have opportunities to develop responsibilities in the school, including becoming prefects, play leaders or helping to look after the chickens or goats. Pupils have lots of ideas which they are keen to share once pupil parliament gets going again, after a pause during the pandemic. Leaders, staff and governors are a dedicated and ambitious team. Together they have brought about considerable improvement to the school. Pupils now benefit from a good standard of education.

What the school should improve

  • The school's curriculum is not yet as effective as it could be in some subjects. The revised curriculum is not yet fully in place. As a result, pupils do not learn and remember the planned curriculum fully. It is clear from leaders' actions that they are well underway with their work to implement the refined curriculum, but there is still more to do. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.
  • Some leaders are new to their roles or have not yet seen the new curriculum plans. This means they are not able to support teachers to deliver the intended curriculum consistently well across the school. Senior leaders should provide further training so that the curriculum for all subjects is implemented consistently and is enabling pupils to learn successfully and achieve well over time.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

58 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths41%

41%, 21 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths2%

2%, 6 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score99

99, 7 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score99

99, 6 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

303 pupils on roll, with places for 420

Eligible for free school meals38%

38%, 11.5 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language23.8%

23.8%, 2.2 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.2%

15.2%, 0.4 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3%

3%, 3 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Heron Park Primary Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Parkland Infant School0.6 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standardNot published
Parkland Junior School0.6 milesOfsted: Good68% met the expected standard
Oakwood Primary Academy0.8 milesOfsted: Good57% met the expected standard
Shinewater Primary School0.8 milesReport card: Expected standard to strong standard53% met the expected standard
West Rise Primary School and Nursery0.9 milesOfsted: GoodNot published

School details

School type
Academy sponsor led
Sector
Academy
Trust
AURORA ACADEMIES TRUST
Age range
2 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Crees
Address
Dallington Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, BN22 9EE
Local authority
East Sussex
URN
138390

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.