The Lindfield School, Eastbourne
The Lindfield School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Eastbourne, part of The Southfield Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Lindfield School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Lindfield School are Summerdown School (0.7 miles); Hazel Court School (1.3 miles, Outstanding); The South Downs School (1.8 miles, Outstanding); and Anderida Learning Centre (2.1 miles, Good).
Summerdown SchoolHazel Court SchoolThe South Downs SchoolAnderida Learning Centre
The trust
The Lindfield School is one of 4 schools run by The Southfield Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Lindfield School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (90%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 22 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 50% to a further education college.
Who goes there
53.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The Lindfield School has an education, health and care plan (123 of 123 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Lindfield 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 Hampden Park (Sussex) Rail Station, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Brodrick Road (near), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 178 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Lindfield School issued 19 suspensions, 15.8 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 December 2015, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are proud to attend this school. Staff make sure every pupil feels valued within the school community. Pupils sometimes arrive at the school with low levels of confidence and self-esteem. The school's work to support and integrate these pupils into school life is very effective. Parents and carers are often astounded that, by the end of their first term, their children have not only happily settled, but also taken on a leading role in one of the school's regular theatre or musical productions.
The school has high expectations for pupils. All pupils follow a broad and ambitious academic curriculum. The school carefully tracks each pupils' progress against their individual targets, and through the school's curriculum. Any pupils who are underachieving are quickly identified and the school provides effective support. Consequently, pupils achieve very well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has reviewed its curriculum since the last inspection to ensure breadth and choice for pupils, particularly at key stage 4. The school ensures that the curriculum is adapted to take account of the needs and aptitudes of each cohort. Staff maintain a keen awareness of what pupils need to learn, as well as the qualifications they will need, to access further education when they leave the school at the end of Year 11.
The school ensures that the curriculum is delivered by teachers with strong subject knowledge. Teachers carefully tailor lessons to take account of each pupil's starting points and gaps in knowledge. The school ensures that teachers understand the targets in each pupil's education, health and care (EHC) plan. Teachers thread these carefully through the planned curriculum. Across the curriculum, for example, pupils' communication and interaction targets are woven skilfully into lessons.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its December 2015 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
53.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Speech and language, Autism, MLD +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
19 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Lindfield School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Lindfield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Lindfield 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- 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: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
129%
Over capacity
123 pupils
95 places
28 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(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
123
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Lindfield 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
123
Total Pupils
89
Boys
34
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,127
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.9%
Overall absence
32.5%
Persistent absence
123
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
The Lindfield School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Lindfield School
What are GCSE results like at The Lindfield School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Lindfield School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 6.6. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Lindfield School's Ofsted rating?
The Lindfield School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The Lindfield School?
No fixed boundary. When The Lindfield School is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Lindfield School?
The Lindfield School has around 123 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Lindfield School have specialist SEN provision?
The Lindfield School provides for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The Lindfield School?
13.9% of sessions were missed at The Lindfield School in 2024/25. 32.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Lindfield School?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming The Lindfield 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 The Lindfield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 The Lindfield School?
The Lindfield School is at Lindfield Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 0BQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)