Chailey School, Lewes
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Chailey School excels at creating a warm, inclusive environment where every pupil feels valued and safe. The school's focus on removing barriers to learning means pupils with additional needs and disadvantaged pupils receive tailored support to help them succeed. Staff work closely with families, and the school's ambitious curriculum and strong pastoral care ensure pupils are well-prepared for their future.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and attendance - pupils behave impeccably in lessons and around school with consistent, calm routines
- Outstanding inclusive teaching - tailored support helps all pupils access the curriculum, including those with additional needs
- Strong personal development programme - comprehensive careers education and wellbeing support from Year 7 to Year 11
- Warm relationships and safe environment - pupils trust staff and feel safe; bullying is incredibly rare
- Ambitious, well-planned leadership - leaders know the school extremely well and make decisions based on what is best for pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment and feedback - teachers do not consistently make clear to pupils what they need to do to improve their work, leading to some learning gaps
- Achievement consistency - while some groups achieved highly in 2024, this is not typical across all groups each year
- Closing disadvantage gaps - although gaps between disadvantaged pupils and peers are closing, more work is needed to ensure these pupils achieve highly
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, leadership responsibilities, cricket, clubs, trips and activities introducing different jobs and pathways
Chailey School is a kind, caring and nurturing school where pupils are rightly proud to attend. Leaders are highly ambitious and have established a positive culture focused on inclusive teaching and removing barriers to learning for all pupils.
At a Glance
14.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
24.9
Avg class size
32
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
862 pupils
870 capacity
8 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Lewes
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lewes
Admissions Demand - East Sussex
Places available
5,548
Applications
4,976
Got 1st preference
86.1%
Got preferred school
96.5%
Secondary admissions across East Sussex (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.84638%
Overall absence
18.13063%
Persistent absence
888
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Chailey School
Nearby Schools
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