Summerdown School, Eastbourne
Summerdown School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 16 in Eastbourne, part of The Southfield Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Summerdown School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Summerdown School are The Lindfield School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Anderida Learning Centre (1.3 miles, Good); The South Downs School (1.4 miles, Outstanding); and Hazel Court School (1.5 miles, Outstanding).
The Lindfield SchoolAnderida Learning CentreThe South Downs SchoolHazel Court School
The trust
Summerdown School is one of 4 schools run by The Southfield Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Summerdown School (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 70% say their child is happy there and 33% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (87%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (33%).
Who goes there
34.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Summerdown School has an education, health and care plan (174 of 174 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hampden Park (Sussex) Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sainsbury's (outside), 240 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Summerdown School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 204 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Summerdown School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Summerdown School has exceptionally high ambitions for all its pupils, despite their complex needs, and successfully realises these ambitions. Staff are expert teachers of special educational needs who know pupils' needs exceedingly well and provide individualised support that helps pupils achieve exceptionally well. The school transforms pupils' lives by teaching them vital communication, social and life skills that prepare them to be independent and confident for the future.
Key Strengths
- Expert staff with superb knowledge of autism and profound learning difficulties who provide exceptional specialist care and support
- Ambitious, meticulously mapped curriculum precisely tailored to each pupil's individual needs with high levels of precision
- Exceptional pupil conduct and behaviour, with pupils consistently showing enthusiasm for learning and respect for one another
- Excellent relationships between pupils and staff, with pupils trusting that staff will care for them
- Robust teaching of life, social and thinking skills that prepares pupils well for their next stage
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with school leaders creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Seaside trips to ALFIE the caravan where pupils develop life skills through cooking and cleaning
Summerdown School is a special school for pupils aged 3-16 with profound and multiple learning disabilities and autism. The school received Outstanding grades across all key areas in its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a Glance
34.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Summerdown School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Summerdown School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Summerdown 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 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
112%
Over capacity
174 pupils
155 places
19 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Eastbourne
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Eastbourne
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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
174
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
174
Total Pupils
121
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
7.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,902
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.4%
Overall absence
32.2%
Persistent absence
146
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
Summerdown School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Summerdown School
What are SATs results like at Summerdown School?
Of the pupils at Summerdown School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is the catchment area for Summerdown School?
No fixed boundary. When Summerdown School is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Summerdown School?
Summerdown School has around 174 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Summerdown School?
12.4% of sessions were missed at Summerdown School in 2024/25. 32.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Summerdown School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Summerdown School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Summerdown School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 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 Summerdown School?
Summerdown School is at 3 Broadwater Way, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9PZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)