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Schools across East Sussex

Local authority · 221 schools across 38 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in East Sussex →

Schools in East Sussex (221)

Showing 20 of 221 schools

Total Schools

221

144 primary · 24 secondary

Total Pupils

71,009

88% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

42

7 outstanding · 35 good

Capacity

80,667

9,658 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

35
176
Outstanding: 7
Good: 35
Requires Improvement: 3
Not inspected: 176

Best Schools in East Sussex

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

33.1

GCSE Eng+Maths

29.4%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

91% full
35,637 pupils39,354 capacity

3,717 spare places

Secondary Schools

88% full
23,119 pupils26,358 capacity

3,239 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

7.2%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

18.4%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

175

2024/25

Absence trend across East Sussex schools

5.1%
18/19
5%
20/21
7.6%
21/22
7.5%
22/23
7.6%
23/24
7.2%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

41%

Plans Issued

382

Assessment Requests

1,216

Tribunal Cases

199

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

42%
2019
82%
2020
87%
2021
88%
2022
87%
2023
82%
2024
41%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

5,902 admissions

82

Lodged

(1.4%)

42

Heard

2

Successful

(5%)

Primary (infant classes)

4,968 admissions

77

Lodged

(1.5%)

40

Heard

1

Successful

(3%)

Secondary

5,474 admissions

318

Lodged

(5.8%)

169

Heard

35

Successful

(21%)

Total

11,376 admissions

400

Lodged

(3.5%)

211

Heard

37

Successful

(18%)

Total appeals lodged per year

831
2019
801
2020
822
2021
552
2022
746
2023
562
2024
1113
2025
877
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in East Sussex

Eastbourne

35 schools

Lewes

22 schools

Uckfield

15 schools

Bexhill-on-Sea

14 schools

Hastings

14 schools

St Leonards-on-Sea

12 schools

Hailsham

11 schools

Crowborough

9 schools

Heathfield

8 schools

Rye

8 schools

Battle

7 schools

Wadhurst

6 schools

Seaford

6 schools

Robertsbridge

6 schools

Newhaven

5 schools

Peacehaven

4 schools

Forest Row

4 schools

Mayfield

4 schools

Pevensey

3 schools

East Sussex

3 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in East Sussex

How many schools are there in East Sussex?

East Sussex has 221 open schools: 144 state primary, 29 state secondary or all-through, 17 independent, 28 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in East Sussex are rated Outstanding?

23 schools in East Sussex were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Step by Step School Limited, Hazel Court School, Burwash CofE School, Uckfield College, Beacon Academy and 18 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 166 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 LimitedHazel Court SchoolBurwash CofE SchoolUckfield CollegeBeacon Academy

Source: Ofsted

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

Of the 32 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 King's Academy Ringmer, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Heathfield Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 50 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Chailey School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.7 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

King's Academy RingmerHeathfield Community CollegeChailey School

Source: DfE school performance data

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

Of the 131 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

Do schools in East Sussex have catchment areas?

Most state schools in East Sussex have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

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

Apply to East Sussex 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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables