White House Academy, Hailsham

From the headteacher's welcome: "White House Academy is a great academy where children are provided with every opportunity possible to be successful. Welcome to White House Academy one of the STEP Academies working together to provide every child with the skills to be successful in their next stage of learning."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, cricket and karate.

Coming up: an open day on Friday 30 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils at White House Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in East Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (77% in reading, 80% in maths).

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 21 families put White House Academy as their first choice and 54 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 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 primary schools to White House Academy are Thornton Grove Academy (0.3 miles); Grovelands Community Primary School (0.7 miles); Hawkes Farm Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 79% reading, 76% maths); and Hellingly Community Primary School (1.8 miles).

White House Academy is one of 19 schools run by Step Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

31 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about White House Academy (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 84% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (84%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).

40.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 48 pupils (25.3%) received SEN support and 12 (6.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

White House Academy had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Polegate Rail Station, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Greenwich Road (e-bound), 250 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood White House Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 148 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, White House Academy issued 13 suspensions, 6.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.