Varndean School, Brighton

From the headteacher's welcome: "A school where individuality is welcomed, celebrated and shared amongst our whole school community. Our whole community benefits from a wide range of learning experiences, alongside a firm belief that a strong community approach to wellbeing gives students the confidence, conviction and courage to exceed their own expectations."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, drama, Duke of Edinburgh and philosophy.

In 2026, pupils at Varndean School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.7 in Brighton and Hove and 47 across England.

68% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Brighton and Hove and 47% in England.

That is up from 48.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.42: pupils made above 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 37.7, against 59.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 21.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 30 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Spanish.

For September 2026 entry, 350 families put Varndean School as their first choice and 1076 named it as one of their preferences, for 279 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 96 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Varndean School are Dorothy Stringer School (0.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.5); Patcham High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.7); Cardinal Newman Catholic School (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.9); and Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (1.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 33.2).

Varndean School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Of the 293 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 14% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

8.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (69%) and Mixed (11%).

In 2026, 439 pupils (29.5%) received SEN support and 99 (6.7%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Preston Park Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Friar Road East End (e-bound), 110 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Varndean School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Varndean School issued 97 suspensions, 6.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Varndean School are Balfour Primary School (0.2 miles), St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles), Hertford Primary School (0.6 miles) and Downs Junior School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.