Best Schools in East Sussex

How many schools are there in East Sussex?

East Sussex has 284 open schools: 187 state primary, 36 state secondary or all-through, 18 independent, 33 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in East Sussex are rated Outstanding?

33 schools in East Sussex were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Step by Step School Limited, The Montessori Place, Hazel Court School, Brighton and Hove Clinic School, Burwash CofE School and 28 more. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 226 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.

Step by Step School LimitedThe Montessori PlaceHazel Court SchoolBrighton and Hove Clinic SchoolBurwash CofE School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in East Sussex get the best GCSE results?

Of the 42 schools in East Sussex 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; Blatchington Mill School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.5 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Cardinal Newman Catholic School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.9 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Varndean SchoolBlatchington Mill SchoolCardinal Newman Catholic School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in East Sussex have the best SATs results?

Of the 168 primary schools in East Sussex with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Brede Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Five Ashes CofE Primary School (100% in reading, 91% in maths); and Ark Blacklands Primary Academy (97% in reading, 93% 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.

Brede Primary SchoolFive Ashes CofE Primary SchoolArk Blacklands Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in East Sussex?

No. None of the state secondary schools in East Sussex 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 East Sussex?

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 11 schools in East Sussex; 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 East Sussex?

Apply to your council - East Sussex, Brighton and Hove or Tower Hamlets, 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.