Best Schools in Haywards Heath

How many schools are there in Haywards Heath?

Haywards Heath has 27 open schools: 17 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 3 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Haywards Heath are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Haywards Heath were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Lindfield Primary Academy; Blackthorns Community Primary School; and Chalkhill Education Centre, Chalkhill Hospital. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 19 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.

Lindfield Primary AcademyBlackthorns Community Primary SchoolChalkhill Education Centre, Chalkhill Hospital

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Haywards Heath get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Haywards Heath with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Warden Park Secondary Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 55 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Oathall Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.3 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Warden Park Secondary AcademyOathall Community College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Haywards Heath have the best SATs results?

Of the 17 primary schools in Haywards Heath with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Blackthorns Community Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths); Handcross Primary School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); and Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield (88% in reading, 87% 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.

Blackthorns Community Primary SchoolHandcross Primary SchoolHoly Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Haywards Heath?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Haywards Heath 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 Haywards Heath?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. West Sussex published how far the last place offered went at this school: Oathall Community College, 1894 metres for 2026 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Oathall Community College

Source: West Sussex admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Haywards Heath?

Apply to your council - West Sussex or East 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.