Best Schools in West Sussex

How many schools are there in West Sussex?

West Sussex has 319 open schools: 213 state primary, 39 state secondary or all-through, 26 independent, 31 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in West Sussex are rated Outstanding?

25 schools in West Sussex were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The College of Richard Collyer In Horsham; Rose Green Junior School; Tanbridge House School; Davison Church of England High School for Girls, Worthing; Midhurst Rother College; and 20 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 245 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.

The College of Richard Collyer In HorshamRose Green Junior SchoolTanbridge House SchoolDavison Church of England High School for Girls, WorthingMidhurst Rother College

Source: Ofsted

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

Of the 44 schools in West Sussex with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Downlands Community School, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.3 and 69% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; St Paul's Catholic College, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.8 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St Oscar Romero Catholic School, with an Attainment 8 score of 57.2 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Downlands Community SchoolSt Paul's Catholic CollegeSt Oscar Romero Catholic School

Source: DfE school performance data

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

Of the 182 primary schools in West Sussex with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Heron Way Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Barns Green Primary School (95% in reading, 100% in maths); and Arundel CofE Primary School (93% in reading, 97% 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.

Heron Way Primary SchoolBarns Green Primary SchoolArundel CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in West Sussex?

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

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 these schools: Bishop Luffa School, Chichester, 798 metres for 2026 entry; Downlands Community School, 13233 metres for 2026 entry; Hazelwick School, 1362 metres for 2026 entry; Holbrook Primary School, 5157 metres for 2026 entry; Oathall Community College, 1894 metres for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 10 schools in West Sussex; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Bishop Luffa School, ChichesterDownlands Community SchoolHazelwick SchoolHolbrook Primary SchoolOathall Community College

Source: West Sussex admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in West Sussex?

Apply to your council - West Sussex, Surrey 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.