Summary:
Sedley, Virginia has just one school — Nottoway Elementary — a PK-5 elementary school serving 235 students as part of Southampton County Public Schools, a district ranked 70th out of 131 in Virginia. The school serves a high-need community, with 91.49% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet it outperforms both district and state averages in most reading subjects and in 5th grade math, making it a notable standout given its demographic profile.
Nottoway Elementary has an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.2%, compared to 8.7% for Southampton County Public Schools and 14.8% statewide. The school ranks in the 68th percentile of Virginia elementary schools, well above its district's 47th percentile, and maintains a 3-star rating with per-student spending of $8,372 and a student-teacher ratio of 14.9. However, its state percentile has slipped gradually over three years, from 74th in 2023-2024 to 68th in 2025-2026, driven largely by weaker 3rd grade results in the most recent school year.
Test scores reveal clear strengths in the upper grades: 5th grade math proficiency is 93.75%, far exceeding the state's 72.39%, while 4th and 5th grade reading also surpass state averages, and 5th grade VA Studies reaches 84.38% proficiency. The primary concern is 3rd grade, where math and reading proficiency both fell to 69.44% in 2025-2026 — a sharp drop from the prior year, with reading declining by 14.56 percentage points. Meanwhile, 4th and 5th grade math improved dramatically year-over-year. Given its high poverty rate, the school's low absenteeism and strong upper-grade performance suggest that consistent attendance and effective instruction are making a meaningful difference for students.
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