Warden Park Secondary Academy, Haywards Heath

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Warden Park Secondary Academy on 6 areas: 4 strong standard and 2 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have worked with determination to improve attendance."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have high aspirations for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders provide a clear, strategic direction for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The personal development programme is a notable strength of the school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "In the majority of subjects, pupils can confidently talk about their prior learning and how this underpins what they are learning now."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have thoughtfully designed an ambitious and engaging curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed their consistent approaches to teaching across the school. They should ensure teachers use assessment practices precisely to address misconceptions and provide specific feedback to pupils, so that all pupils can achieve consistently well"; "Leaders should continue to sustain the effectiveness of their personal development and wellbeing programme in order to drive a transformational impact for all groups of pupils".

In its own words: "Ms N Simmons : Deputy Headteacher - Professional Learning and classroom practice Mr M Sorrell : Deputy Headteacher - Student Welfare, Outcomes and Communities"

In 2026, pupils at Warden Park Secondary Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 55, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in West Sussex and 47 across England.

60% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in West Sussex and 47% in England.

That is up from 52.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.28: 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 42.1, against 56.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 350 families put Warden Park Secondary Academy as their first choice and 821 named it as one of their preferences, for 322 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 55 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Warden Park Secondary Academy are Oathall Community College (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.3); St Paul's Catholic College (2.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 57.8); The Burgess Hill Academy (3.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); and Chailey School (6.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.7).

Warden Park Secondary Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Warden Park Secondary Academy is one of 7 schools run by Sussex Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 297 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 34% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

12.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%), Asian (5%) and Mixed (5%).

Warden Park Secondary Academy has a resourced provision (23 places, 23 pupils on roll) and a SEN unit (28 places, 28 pupils on roll) for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

The nearest railway station is Haywards Heath Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Warden Park School (outside), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 17 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103).

In 2024/25, Warden Park Secondary Academy issued 60 suspensions, 3.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Warden Park Secondary Academy are Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School, Cuckfield (0.3 miles); Harlands Primary School (1.1 miles); Bolnore Village Primary School (1.2 miles); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (1.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.