Best Schools in Brighton

How many schools are there in Brighton?

Brighton has 64 open schools: 39 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 7 independent, 6 special and 6 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Brighton are rated Outstanding?

7 schools in Brighton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Hill Park School, Eastbrook Primary Academy, Royal Spa Nursery School, Tarnerland Nursery School, St Luke's Primary School and 2 more. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 49 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Hill Park SchoolEastbrook Primary AcademyRoyal Spa Nursery SchoolTarnerland Nursery SchoolSt Luke's Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Brighton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Brighton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Varndean School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.7 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Dorothy Stringer School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.5 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Patcham High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.7 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Varndean SchoolDorothy Stringer SchoolPatcham High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Brighton have the best SATs results?

Of the 34 primary schools in Brighton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Peter Gladwin Primary School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); Balfour Primary School (87% in reading, 84% in maths); and Bevendean Primary School and Nursery (75% in reading, 89% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Peter Gladwin Primary SchoolBalfour Primary SchoolBevendean Primary School and Nursery

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Brighton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Brighton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Brighton?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Brighton and Hove published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Balfour Primary School, 1020 metres for 2027 entry; Carlton Hill Primary School, 846 metres for 2027 entry; Downs Infant School, 1888 metres for 2027 entry; Elm Grove Primary School, 2351 metres for 2027 entry; Peter Gladwin Primary School, 993 metres for 2027 entry. We hold figures for 10 schools in Brighton; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Balfour Primary SchoolCarlton Hill Primary SchoolDowns Infant SchoolElm Grove Primary SchoolPeter Gladwin Primary School

Source: Brighton and Hove admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Brighton?

Apply to your council - Brighton and Hove or West Sussex, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.