Mulberry Academy Hastings, Hastings
Mulberry Academy Hastings is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Hastings, part of Mulberry Schools Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 20th-highest of the 24 schools in East Sussex with published results, and 2,830th of 3,298 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to East Sussex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mulberry Academy Hastings in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Mulberry Academy Hastings averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.5 in East Sussex and 47 across England.
27% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in East Sussex and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 38.2.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.29: pupils made well below 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 33.8, against 43.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Mulberry Academy Hastings
For September 2026 entry, 201 families put Mulberry Academy Hastings as their first choice and 302 named it as one of their preferences, for 207 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Mulberry Academy Hastings
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Mulberry Academy Hastings are Ark Alexandra Academy (2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 45.4); Lansdowne Children's Centre (3 miles); and Mulberry Academy St Leonards (3.9 miles).
Ark Alexandra AcademyLansdowne Children's CentreMulberry Academy St Leonards
The trust
Mulberry Academy Hastings is one of 14 schools run by Mulberry Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 48.8 in 2024/25.
What parents say
81 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mulberry Academy Hastings (as of April 2026): 75% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (79%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (65%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 54% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
47.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 217 pupils (26.1%) received SEN support and 19 (2.3%) 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 autism.
Mulberry Academy Hastings has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Mulberry Academy Hastings had 60 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ore Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Winchelsea Lane (opposite), 60 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Mulberry Academy Hastings issued 726 suspensions, 89.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Mulberry Academy Hastings are Ore Village Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Sandown Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles), All Saints CofE Junior Academy (1.1 miles) and Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Ore Village Primary AcademySandown Primary School and NurseryAll Saints CofE Junior AcademyGuestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Mulberry Academy Hastings excels at creating a caring, inclusive environment where every pupil feels known and valued. Staff are committed to supporting all children, with particular strengths in helping disadvantaged pupils and those with special needs succeed. The school has successfully transformed its culture in recent years, creating calm classrooms where pupils want to attend and can focus on their learning.
Key Strengths
- Effective systems for tracking and improving pupil attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Strong behaviour management with calm, purposeful lessons and warm relationships between staff and pupils
- Comprehensive inclusion approach that identifies and supports pupils' needs promptly and matches support well
- Well-designed pastoral care and personal development programme that helps pupils feel safe and cared for
- Clear leadership with high expectations and focus on embedding improvements across the curriculum
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent assessment practices across the school mean adaptations for pupils with specific barriers are not always precise
- Achievement levels remain below national averages, though current pupils are building knowledge more securely
- Gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills need closing, including inconsistencies in handwriting and presentation
- Quality of curriculum adaptations to meet individual pupil needs still requires improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess, volleyball, book club, school council, peer mentoring, trips, visits
Mulberry Academy Hastings is a school that has made significant improvements in its culture and ethos, with leaders demonstrating strong moral purpose and high ambition for every pupil. The school is providing an increasingly positive learning environment with particular strengths in attendance, behaviour, inclusion, and pastoral support.
At a Glance
47.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
81 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -1.48 to -1.29 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 30.3 to 38.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 15% to 27% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 38.5 | 27.3% |
| Disadvantaged(70) | - | 33.8 | 22.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(69) | - | 43.3 | 31.9% |
| Boys(73) | - | 37.4 | 28.8% |
| Girls(66) | - | 39.8 | 25.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(9) | - | 41.7 | 44.4% |
| Non mobile(131) | - | 38.7 | 28.2% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 173 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
8
Permanent exclusions
0.99%
Exclusion rate
726
Suspensions
89.85%
Suspension rate
165 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 808 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Mulberry Academy Hastings
Term dates
Mulberry Academy Hastings is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see East Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mulberry Academy Hastings from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mulberry Academy Hastings is in East Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to East Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
Your chances of a place at Mulberry Academy Hastings
Will you get a place at Mulberry Academy Hastings? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Mulberry Academy Hastings's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Mulberry Academy Hastings:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Mulberry Academy Hastings.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from East Sussex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Mulberry Academy Hastings for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in East Sussex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
807 pupils
900 places
93 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hastings
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hastings
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
217
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
28.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Mulberry Academy Hastings has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 6 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
833
Total Pupils
442
Boys
391
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
60
Teachers
13.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,115
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,713
Per pupil
£6906k
Total funding
£406k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.2%
Overall absence
32.9%
Persistent absence
888
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Mulberry Academy Hastings
What are GCSE results like at Mulberry Academy Hastings?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Mulberry Academy Hastings achieved an Attainment 8 score of 38.5. 27% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Mulberry Academy Hastings's Ofsted rating?
Mulberry Academy Hastings's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Mulberry Academy Hastings?
No fixed boundary. When Mulberry Academy Hastings is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Mulberry Academy Hastings was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 900 places.
How big are the classes at Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Classes at Mulberry Academy Hastings average 23.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Mulberry Academy Hastings has around 833 pupils on roll. 48% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Mulberry Academy Hastings have specialist SEN provision?
Mulberry Academy Hastings has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 10 places, 6 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Mulberry Academy Hastings?
10.2% of sessions were missed at Mulberry Academy Hastings in 2024/25. 32.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Mulberry Academy Hastings on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Mulberry Academy Hastings?
Mulberry Academy Hastings is at Rye Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 5DN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)