City Academy Whitehawk, Brighton

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are very proud of our school and everything we do is captured in the phrase: We believe passionately in the potential for every child in our school to be supported, nurtured and challenged in order to allow each child to flourish into being the very best that they can be."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include chess and Lego.

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils at City Academy Whitehawk reached the expected standard in reading and 65% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 69% in Brighton and Hove and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (65% in reading, 69% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 38 families put City Academy Whitehawk as their first choice and 53 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to City Academy Whitehawk are St Mark's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 50% reading, 42% maths); St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 57% maths); St Luke's Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 73% maths); and Elm Grove Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 77% reading, 54% maths).

City Academy Whitehawk's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

City Academy Whitehawk is one of 7 schools run by Aurora Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

59.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is London Road (Brighton) Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Piltdown Road (opposite), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood City Academy Whitehawk stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, City Academy Whitehawk issued 51 suspensions, 13.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.