Headstart, Battle
Headstart is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 21 in Battle. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Headstart in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Headstart are Bexhill Independent Special School (1.5 miles); St Mary's School and 6th Form College (3.2 miles, Good); ISP School (3.7 miles, Good); and Glyne Gap School (3.9 miles, Outstanding).
Bexhill Independent Special SchoolSt Mary's School and 6th Form CollegeISP SchoolGlyne Gap School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Headstart has an education, health and care plan (50 of 50 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Collington Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 12 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Headstart
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
50 pupils
50 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Battle
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Battle
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,496
Applications
4,990
Got 1st preference
86.3%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
50
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Headstart is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
50
Total Pupils
39
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Headstart
What are GCSE results like at Headstart?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Headstart can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Headstart's Ofsted rating?
Headstart was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
Does Headstart meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in November 2023, Headstart met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Headstart?
Headstart has around 50 pupils on roll.
Does Headstart have specialist SEN provision?
Headstart is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Headstart?
Headstart is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Headstart?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Headstart?
Headstart is at Crouch Lane, Ninfield, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 9EG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)