School information
Please find our current Prospectus here: Prospectus
and our current Admissions guide: Admissions Booklet 2026
Inclusive Statement
We provide an inclusive, supportive and caring environment in which children can learn and flourish. Reasonable adjustments will be made to enable the admission of pupils who meet the criteria of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. If your child is disabled or has a medical condition, you should discuss the matter with the Head Teacher. Please note, we like as much information as possible about your or your child’s disabilities. This helps us to make access to learning, for pupils and parents, as good as possible.
Admissions
Ditchling (St. Margaret’s) CE Primary and Nursery School is an academy within the Hurst Education Trust. As such the Trust is the Admission Authority responsible for all decisions in connection with admitting pupils and for the publication of Admission Arrangements which explain how the admissions process will be applied. The trust delegates the responsibility for admissions to the Governing body of the school. The Arrangements has been written after consultation with the Diocese, Local Authority, Admissions Forum and other schools in the area. Our admissions booklet can be found below.
East Sussex operates a co-ordinated admission scheme for primary schools. Applications should be made on the East Sussex County Council application form completed in accordance with the information provided in its School Admissions Booklet, available online via the East Sussex website.
This website takes you to a link for applications for places either to start in Reception in September (Starting School for the First Time tab) or applications for places within the school year for any year group (Applying during the school year).
If you wish to apply to the school for a place within the school year please speak to the Administrator in the school office initially, we will arrange a school tour to help you in your decision making. The Administrator will guide you through the process, further information can also be found at: https://admissions.eastsussex.gov.uk/Enrol/Website/default.aspx. The Headteacher, in conjunction with the Governors, considers each application in relation to the existing pupil numbers in each year group. If our pupil numbers are above our pupil admission number, set by the Local Authority, the governors will decide whether a child can be admitted. Children living in the school catchment area will be given priority in this instance. We will inform you as soon as possible about the decision reached, if your son/daughter is going to join us we will endeavour to arrange a mutually convenient visit before they start with us.
Waiting Lists – General Information
Parents may ask for their child to be placed on waiting lists where it has been necessary to restrict entry to a particular year group.
Children can be placed on more than one waiting list but only for schools which were named on the school application form. An application must be completed with the local authority before a child can be placed on the waiting list.
How Waiting Lists Work
Waiting lists must follow the School Admission Arrangements/Policy criteria for entry.
It can be expected therefore that a child’s position on any waiting list can change as other pupils join or leave the list whilst it is running.
Applying to join the Waiting List
Contact the Headteacher, by emailing the school office in the first instance office@ditchling-ce-prim.e-sussex.sch.uk
Waiting lists will run until the end of the *2nd term in which the application is processed. You will need to inform the school if you wish to extend this time.
Parents can ask at any time where their child features on a waiting list.
*2 terms 1st September to 31st December: 1st January to 30th April: 1st May to 31st August:
If a place becomes available, parents will be notified in writing and given 14 days to decide to accept or decline the place.
If the child stays at his or her current school, he or she will be removed from the waiting list and the vacancy offered to the next child.
Appeals: The Admissions Code states that the appeals timetable must be published on the school website by 28 February. Although the model HET Admissions Policy contains details of the appeals process, it does not contain the timetable.
School Admissions Appeals Process and Timetable: If you have applied for a place at Ditchling and your child has been refused admission, you have the legal right to appeal against that decision. This applies to Reception class and In-Year Admissions. Full details of the process and timescales can be found in the following document.
Admission Appeals Process And Timetable January 2026 East Sussex
We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
