Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy Review 2026

Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy is a two-form entry primary with 60 Reception places each year, and a clear focus on reading, maths and purposeful routines that help pupils learn quickly and confidently. It sits above the England average on headline Key Stage 2 measures, and local demand is significant, which shapes the admissions reality for many families.

The October 2023 Ofsted inspection graded the academy Outstanding across every judgement area, and recorded safeguarding as effective.

Alongside the academic picture, the academy puts real structure around pupils’ wider development through its Primary Connections Passport, which maps more than 40 experiences across areas like adventure, culture, community and nature by the end of Year 6.

This is an academy that runs on clarity. Expectations are explicitly taught, reinforced, and made easy for pupils to follow, which creates a calm, purposeful feel across the day. Leadership roles are used early and often, giving pupils a practical way to take responsibility, whether through prefect roles, the school council, or peer support roles that build confidence and maturity.

A useful way to understand the ethos is through the academy’s RIDGE values, an internal shorthand for Rigour, Integrity, Determination, Generosity and Enthusiasm. These are not presented as abstract aspirations. They are broken down into child-friendly behaviours such as taking pride in work, making honest choices, persevering when learning is difficult, and listening carefully to others.

The academy is part of Ark Schools, and that network effect shows up most clearly in training, curriculum planning, and the consistency of routines. The academy also works closely with other Ark schools in the Hastings area, including Ark Alexandra Secondary Academy, which matters for transition conversations later on.

Families should also be aware that the academy includes a specially resourced provision for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) relating to speech and language difficulties. This is described as integrated into the academy’s wider life, rather than separate from it.

The outcomes data suggests a school that converts strong curriculum planning into strong attainment by the end of Key Stage 2.

In the most recent published KS2 results 84% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 28.67% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths, well above the England average of 8%. Reading and maths scaled scores are also strong (108 in reading; 107 in maths), indicating secure attainment at cohort level rather than isolated high flyers.

For parents comparing local options, the simplest takeaway is that outcomes sit comfortably above typical England levels, and the higher standard figure is a genuine strength rather than a rounding error.

Ranked 2,862nd in England and 1st locally for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits above the England average and within the top 25% of schools in England.

If you are shortlisting nearby primaries, it can be helpful to use the FindMySchool local hub comparison tool to view these measures side-by-side with other schools you are considering.

Reading is treated as a core driver of achievement rather than an add-on. The inspection evidence points to a structured approach, including phonics that builds fluency quickly in the early years, and a wider reading programme designed to expose pupils to diverse texts that also connect to topic learning. Where pupils find reading difficult, the academy puts extra support in quickly so that reading does not become a barrier across the wider curriculum.

In maths, the emphasis is on secure number confidence and problem-solving from Reception onwards, with teaching that breaks content into manageable steps and uses regular recap so learning sticks. This matters for families because it often reduces the common primary-school pattern of pupils appearing secure one week, then forgetting key ideas a month later.

Digital learning is also used in a practical way, with Chromebooks issued from Year 3, which can support independent practice and homework habits if it is implemented well.

Finally, support for pupils with special educational needs is described as tightly aligned to the core curriculum, with adaptations made so pupils can learn the same ambitious content as peers wherever possible.

As a Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea primary, transition is shaped by East Sussex secondary admissions routes and the mix of local academies and maintained schools. Ark Little Ridge explicitly positions itself as working closely with other Ark schools locally, including Ark Alexandra Secondary Academy, which provides a clear pathway option for some families.

What this means in practice is that Year 6 preparation is likely to focus on the knowledge and habits pupils need for a larger secondary setting, and on building confidence in reading comprehension, maths reasoning and independent organisation. The inspection evidence supports the idea that pupils leave well prepared for the next stage, including pupils who need additional support.

For families who want to map likely destinations more precisely, it is worth checking East Sussex secondary admissions criteria early, and keeping a realistic eye on travel times.

Reception admissions follow East Sussex County Council’s coordinated process, rather than direct allocation by the academy. For the September 2026 intake cycle, the academy states that applications needed to be submitted by 15 January 2026, with families notified on 16 April 2026. These dates also give a reliable sense of the usual pattern year to year: mid-January deadline, mid-April offers.

Demand is a defining feature. In the most recent admissions snapshot 169 applications competed for 60 offers, which is about 2.82 applications per place. The academy is recorded as oversubscribed, and first preference demand also exceeded available places.

Because distance allocations can shift annually, families considering a move should use FindMySchoolMap Search to check their likely distance to the gate and sanity-check plans before relying on an outcome. (Even where a school is popular, a small change in local birth cohorts can shift cut-offs.)

Visits are encouraged, and the academy publishes admissions information and visit options on its site.

Pastoral support is presented as an active system rather than a passive promise. The academy highlights a partnership with Place2Be to support pupils’ mental health, which can be reassuring for families who want to see formal capacity around wellbeing, not just informal goodwill.

The wider personal development programme is also unusually structured for a primary. The Primary Connections Passport frames enrichment as something all pupils access over time, across themes like community, nature, adventure, culture and future planning. The implication is that personal development is planned and tracked, in the same way as curriculum content.

Safeguarding is recorded as effective in the most recent inspection evidence.

Enrichment here is not limited to the usual “join a club if you happen to be free” model. Two strands stand out.

1. Primary Connections Passport

Every pupil takes part in a programme designed to build breadth through experiences, with the goal of completing more than 40 experiences between Reception and Year 6. The categories are explicit, for example connecting with nature, connecting with culture and the arts, and connecting with adventure. The practical implication is that pupils who might not normally self-select into enrichment still get structured exposure over time.

1. Named clubs and structured wraparound activities

The published club timetable includes specific providers and activities across the week, such as Funk Fusion Dance Academy, Drama Zone, Andy Stoodley Football coaching, Ami Piper Dance + Acro, Sama Karate, and Choir Club, alongside academy-run options like Netball Club. The club page also references Digi club and Gardening Club, plus lower-key options like board games and puzzles, which can suit pupils who are less drawn to performance or competitive sport.

The academy calendar also shows topic-linked workshops, for example a Wonder Dome planetarium experience and a Year 6 WWII workshop, which aligns with inspection evidence that pupils benefit from well-chosen learning-linked experiences such as museum trips and theatre visits.

The school day runs 08:45 to 15:15, with gates opening at 08:30 and closing at 09:00. Breakfast club starts at 07:45, and after-school care runs until 18:00.

Breakfast club is listed at £3.75 per session including breakfast, and after-school care (Rocking Ridgers) uses a tiered structure, for example £5.00 to 16:15, £9.25 to 17:15, and £12.75 to 18:00. Bookings are managed online with a weekly deadline, which will matter for families with variable work patterns.

There is no on-site nursery, so entry begins in Reception.

• Competition for places. Demand exceeds supply, with 169 applications for 60 offers in the latest dataset snapshot. Families should plan early, and keep a second or third preference that they would genuinely accept.

• Wraparound care needs planning. Breakfast club and Rocking Ridgers are clearly structured, but bookings follow a weekly deadline and sessions can fill. That suits families who plan ahead; it can be harder for those with last-minute childcare changes.

• A high-expectations culture. Behaviour and routines are a strength, and many children thrive on the clarity. A small number may find the structure intense if they need a looser day, or if they struggle with frequent correction while routines are learned.

• Integrated specialist provision. The academy includes a resourced speech and language provision for pupils with EHCPs. For families who need that pathway, it can be a key differentiator. For others, it is still worth understanding how inclusion is organised day to day.

Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a culture built on clear routines, explicit values, and planned personal development. It suits families who want a structured, academically ambitious primary that also takes enrichment seriously, and who are prepared to engage early with a competitive admissions process. The limiting factor is usually entry rather than educational quality.