Saxon Mount School, St Leonards-on-Sea
Saxon Mount School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in St Leonards-on-Sea, part of Torfield and Saxon Mount Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Saxon Mount School in detail
Saxon Mount School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Saxon Mount School caters for children and young people who have a range of Special Educational Needs (SEN). On behalf of the staff and governors, I would like to welcome you to Saxon Mount."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, Lego, cooking and art.
The school runs after-school care until 4:30pm, from £1.00 per session.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Saxon Mount School are New Horizons School (Part of the Sabden Multi Academy Trust) (1.4 miles, Outstanding); Glyne Gap School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); St Mary's School and 6th Form College (2.2 miles, Good); and The Flagship School (2.5 miles).
New Horizons School (Part of the Sabden Multi Academy Trust)Glyne Gap SchoolSt Mary's School and 6th Form CollegeThe Flagship School
The trust
Saxon Mount School is one of 2 schools run by Torfield and Saxon Mount Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Saxon Mount School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 86% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (86%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 30 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 83% to a further education college.
Who goes there
57.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 6.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at Saxon Mount School has an education, health and care plan (172 of 172 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Saxon Mount School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is West St Leonards Rail Station, about 570 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The St Leonards Academy (adjacent), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 151 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Saxon Mount School issued 38 suspensions, 22.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Saxon Mount excels at helping all pupils flourish in a safe, respectful environment. Teachers genuinely understand each child's needs and provide expert support tailored to help them succeed. The school's life-changing approach combines ambitious academics with practical life skills, preparing pupils confidently for their next steps into further education, employment or training.
Key Strengths
- Highly aspirational, carefully sequenced curriculum adapted to meet individual pupil needs and starting points
- Expert teachers with superb subject knowledge who skilfully support pupils with SEND
- Strong focus on personal development and preparation for adulthood, including life skills and career guidance
- Excellent reading provision with effective phonics support for early readers
- High attendance achieved through positive, supportive approach to families
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to theatre, local gallery, museums, outdoor learning, workplace visits including local farm and forestry, pupil leadership roles
Saxon Mount School is a welcoming, joyful special school where all pupils have SEND and staff respond to their needs with expertise. The school has exceptionally high expectations for all pupils, who achieve remarkably well from their different starting points.
At a Glance
57.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, MLD +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Saxon Mount School
Seasonal Biscuit Decorating Fun for 7/8CF
23 Oct 2026
7/8CF and 7/8LM visit to Battle Abbey
22 Oct 2026
AWI Mock Job Interviews
13 Oct 2026
Year 8 Explore Energy in Science
13 Oct 2026
9JB's Busy Maths-Filled Term
8 Oct 2026
Y11 PGL Osmington Bay
18 Sep 2026
From Saxon Mount School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Saxon Mount School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Saxon Mount School, with their latest published grades:
- Little Explorers Nursery - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 13 July 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Robsack Wood Nursery - Day nursery, 0.9 miles
- Jigsaw Day Nursery - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted, 20 February 2024: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Bear's House, St Leonards - Day nursery, 1.0 milesOfsted, 20 June 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Little Skaters Nursery & Pre-School - Day nursery, 1.0 milesOfsted, 7 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Saxon Mount School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Saxon Mount School 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
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, 2 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
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 are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
127%
Over capacity
172 pupils
135 places
37 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
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(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
172
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Saxon Mount School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
172
Total Pupils
121
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
6.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,493
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.9%
Overall absence
30.6%
Persistent absence
173
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 Saxon Mount School
What are GCSE results like at Saxon Mount School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Saxon Mount School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 9.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Saxon Mount School's Ofsted rating?
Saxon Mount School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in November 2017, it was rated Good.
How many pupils go to Saxon Mount School?
Saxon Mount School has around 172 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Saxon Mount School have specialist SEN provision?
Saxon Mount School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Saxon Mount School?
9.9% of sessions were missed at Saxon Mount School in 2024/25. 30.6% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Saxon Mount School?
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, 2 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 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 Saxon Mount School?
Saxon Mount School is at Edinburgh Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN38 8HH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)