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Schools across West Sussex

Local authority · 337 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 West 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 West Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

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

Schools in West Sussex (337)

Showing 20 of 337 schools

Total Schools

337

225 primary · 38 secondary

Total Pupils

128,251

91% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

79

11 outstanding · 68 good

Capacity

140,879

12,628 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

68
251
Outstanding: 11
Good: 68
Requires Improvement: 7
Not inspected: 251

Best Schools in West Sussex

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

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

35.7

GCSE Eng+Maths

31.4%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

90% full
62,226 pupils69,449 capacity

7,223 spare places

Secondary Schools

94% full
47,822 pupils51,118 capacity

3,296 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.0%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

267

2024/25

Absence trend across West Sussex schools

4.6%
18/19
4.4%
20/21
7%
21/22
6.6%
22/23
6.4%
23/24
6.1%
24/25

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

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

16%

Plans Issued

1,653

Assessment Requests

2,834

Tribunal Cases

108

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

78%
2019
56%
2020
36%
2021
17%
2022
4%
2023
11%
2024
16%
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

11,351 admissions

236

Lodged

(2.1%)

139

Heard

9

Successful

(7%)

Primary (infant classes)

9,088 admissions

209

Lodged

(2.3%)

122

Heard

1

Successful

(1%)

Secondary

9,871 admissions

504

Lodged

(5.1%)

362

Heard

64

Successful

(18%)

Total

21,222 admissions

740

Lodged

(3.5%)

501

Heard

73

Successful

(15%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1591
2019
2000
2020
1726
2021
1884
2022
1912
2023
2166
2024
1514
2025
1689
2026

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

Towns in West Sussex

Horsham

44 schools

Crawley

43 schools

Chichester

41 schools

Worthing

38 schools

Haywards Heath

25 schools

Bognor Regis

16 schools

Littlehampton

15 schools

Burgess Hill

13 schools

East Grinstead

11 schools

Pulborough

11 schools

Arundel

8 schools

Shoreham-by-Sea

8 schools

Hassocks

7 schools

Lancing

7 schools

Billingshurst

6 schools

Midhurst

5 schools

Petworth

5 schools

Emsworth

5 schools

Steyning

4 schools

West Sussex

4 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in West Sussex

How many schools are there in West Sussex?

West Sussex has 337 open schools: 225 state primary, 41 state secondary or all-through, 27 independent, 34 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 260 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 46 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 190 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 West 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