The Eastbourne Academy, Eastbourne

In 2026, pupils at The Eastbourne Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.5 in East Sussex and 47 across England.

26% 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 37.7.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.88: 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 29.7, against 43.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 61 families put The Eastbourne Academy as their first choice and 118 named it as one of their preferences, for 132 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 secondary schools to The Eastbourne Academy are Ratton School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); The Turing School (1 mile, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 31.7); Willingdon Community School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.2); and The Cavendish School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.2).

The Eastbourne Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

The Eastbourne Academy is one of 19 schools run by Swale Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.5 in 2024/25.

77 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Eastbourne Academy (as of September 2025): 38% would recommend the school, 52% say their child is happy there and 38% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (57%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (38%).

Of the 154 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 76% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 66% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

50.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Mixed (8%) and Black (5%).

The Eastbourne Academy has a resourced provision (10 places, 11 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (10 places, 11 pupils on roll) for speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is Hampden Park (Sussex) Rail Station, about 940 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brodrick Road (near), 190 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 175 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Eastbourne Academy issued 391 suspensions, 48.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Eastbourne Academy are Oakwood Primary Academy (0.2 miles), Parkland Infant School (0.2 miles), Parkland Junior School (0.2 miles) and Heron Park Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.