Schools across Brighton and Hove

How many schools are there in Brighton and Hove?

Brighton and Hove has 82 open schools: 47 state primary, 10 state secondary or all-through, 10 independent, 8 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Brighton and Hove are rated Outstanding?

10 schools in Brighton and Hove were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Montessori Place, Brighton and Hove Clinic School, Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, Hill Park School, Royal Spa Nursery School and 5 more. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 64 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 Montessori PlaceBrighton and Hove Clinic SchoolBrighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form CollegeHill Park SchoolRoyal Spa Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Brighton and Hove get the best GCSE results?

Of the 12 schools in Brighton and Hove with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at King's School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.5 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Varndean School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.7 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Blatchington Mill School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.5 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

King's SchoolVarndean SchoolBlatchington Mill School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Brighton and Hove have the best SATs results?

Of the 41 primary schools in Brighton and Hove 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); Hove Junior School (90% in reading, 85% in maths); and Bilingual Primary School - Brighton & Hove (88% in reading, 86% 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 SchoolHove Junior SchoolBilingual Primary School - Brighton & Hove

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Brighton and Hove?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Brighton and Hove 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 and Hove?

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 Brighton and Hove; 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 and Hove?

Apply to Brighton and Hove 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.