Blatchington Mill School, Hove

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Blatchington Mill School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard, 4 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "The school successfully fosters a strong sense of Blatch community, ensuring that pupils feel they belong."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Published data indicates that, overall, pupils consistently achieve well in national examinations, including in English and mathematics."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a cohesive and carefully sequenced curriculum to ensure that pupils learn in a structured way."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and governors are resolute in their ambition for pupils to excel and thrive."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school ensures that pupils learn a well‑sequenced personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Published attendance information indicates that pupils' attendance has declined over time, including among those who are vulnerable."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must continue to strengthen and embed a coordinated attendance strategy so that pupil attendance continues to improve and persistent absence reduces, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring these pupils attend school regularly and engage with education well"; "Leaders should ensure that staff carry out precise, routine checks on pupils' learning so that teachers identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and misconceptions can be addressed quickly"; "The school should ensure that the careers programme provides pupils with suitable experiences and the detailed knowledge that they need to make ambitious and informed decisions about future education, employment and training options".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are an inclusive and diverse comprehensive school set in the heart of Hove. Our students are the best thing about Blatch and every day we are blown away by how fantastic our young people are and how lucky we are to help shape their futures."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, hockey, cricket, athletics, drama, photography and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Blatchington Mill School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.7 in Brighton and Hove and 47 across England.

57% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Brighton and Hove and 47% in England.

That is up from 51 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.3: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.4, against 55.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Spanish and History.

For September 2026 entry, 252 families put Blatchington Mill School as their first choice and 886 named it as one of their preferences, for 323 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 15 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Blatchington Mill School are Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42); King's School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 56.5); Cardinal Newman Catholic School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.9); and Dorothy Stringer School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5).

Blatchington Mill School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

46 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Blatchington Mill School (as of April 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).

Of the 315 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 16% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 0% into work.

In 2026, 244 pupils (15%) received SEN support and 39 (2.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Aldrington Rail Station, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Nevill Way (opposite), 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Blatchington Mill School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Blatchington Mill School issued 209 suspensions, 12.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Blatchington Mill School are Aldrington CofE Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Bilingual Primary School - Brighton & Hove (0.3 miles), Goldstone Primary School (0.6 miles) and Hangleton Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.