Schools in East Sussex
214 schools in the East Sussex local authority.
Schools
214
Open schools
Pupils
71,009
2025–26 census
Good or better
91%
142 of 156 graded
Academic Performance
4.6
out of 10 · 189 schools
Ofsted ratings
- Outstanding
- 20 13%
- Good
- 122 78%
- Requires improvement
- 8 5%
- Inadequate
- 6 4%
29 inspected since 2024, no overall grade16 superseded by a report card29 not judged3 in a category of concern5 safeguarding not effective
4.6
Academic PerformanceAveraged over 189 of 214 schools that can be scored
Pupils
71,009
pupils on roll
Boys 52%48% Girls
Roll from 210 of 214 schools (71,009 pupils). Independent schools report roll and sex only.
Ethnicity
White
86%Asian
3%Black
2%Mixed
6%Chinese
<1%Any other group
<1%Unclassified
1%Ethnicity from 184 of 214 schools (64,887 pupils). Independent schools report roll and sex only.
Pupil characteristics
- Free school meals
- 24.5%
- First language not English
- 8.3%
- Young carers
- <1%
15,870 of 64,887 pupils · 184 of 214 schools
5,396 of 64,887 pupils · 184 of 214 schools
539 of 64,887 pupils · 184 of 214 schools
Schools by phase
- Primary
- 148
- Secondary
- 29
- All-through
- 7
- Special
- 18
- PRU
- 2
- Not recorded
- 10
Top primary schools in East Sussex
The 20 highest-scoring primary schools here on Academic Performance, which combines the Ofsted judgement with DfE attainment.
- 1.Ark Blacklands Primary AcademyEast Sussex · Primary9.8/10Outstanding
- 2.Ark Little Ridge Primary AcademyEast Sussex · Primary9.7/10Outstanding
- 3.Netherfield CofE Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary9.6/10Outstanding
- 4.Parkside Community Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary9.5/10Outstanding
- 5.Little Common SchoolEast Sussex · Primary9.4/10Outstanding
- 6.High Cliff AcademyEast Sussex · Primary9.2/10Outstanding
- 7.Burwash CofE SchoolEast Sussex · Primary9.1/10Outstanding
- 8.Polegate Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary9.0/10Outstanding
- 9.Western Road Community Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.9/10
- 10.Blackboys Church of England Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.7/10Good
- 11.Chiddingly Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.5/10Good
- 12.St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.5/10
- 13.Catsfield Church of England Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.4/10
- 14.All Saints CofE Junior AcademyEast Sussex · Primary8.3/10Good
- 15.Brede Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.3/10Good
- 16.Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.3/10Good
- 17.Iford and Kingston Church of England Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.3/10Good
- 18.Plumpton Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.1/10Good
- 19.Wivelsfield Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary8.0/10Good
- 20.Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary SchoolEast Sussex · Primary7.7/10Good
Top secondary schools in East Sussex
The 20 highest-scoring secondary schools here on Academic Performance, which combines the Ofsted judgement with DfE attainment.
- 1.Beacon AcademyEast Sussex · Secondary9.6/10Outstanding
- 2.Seaford Head SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary9.6/10Outstanding
- 3.Uckfield CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary9.5/10Outstanding
- 4.Claverham Community CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary7.8/10Good
- 5.Heathfield Community CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary7.6/10Good
- 6.Chailey SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary7.5/10Good
- 7.The Cavendish SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary7.2/10
- 8.Priory SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary6.9/10Good
- 9.Gildredge HouseEast Sussex · Secondary6.5/10
- 10.St Catherine's CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary6.5/10Good
- 11.King's Academy RingmerEast Sussex · Secondary6.4/10Good
- 12.Willingdon Community SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary6.1/10Good
- 13.St Richard's Catholic CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary5.5/10Good
- 14.Ratton SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary3.5/10Good
- 15.Uplands AcademyEast Sussex · Secondary3.1/10Good
- 16.Bexhill High AcademyEast Sussex · Secondary2.9/10
- 17.Seahaven AcademyEast Sussex · Secondary2.9/10Good
- 18.Peacehaven Community SchoolEast Sussex · Secondary2.4/10Good
- 19.Rye CollegeEast Sussex · Secondary2.0/10Good
- 20.The Eastbourne AcademyEast Sussex · Secondary1.8/10
Browse all 214 schools in East Sussex — filter by phase or Ofsted rating.
About schools in East Sussex
- How many schools are there in East Sussex?
- East Sussex has 214 open schools — 148 primary, 29 secondary, 18 special, teaching 71,009 pupils in total.
- How many schools in East Sussex are rated Good or Outstanding?
- 142 of the 156 schools holding an Ofsted grade — 91% — are rated Good or Outstanding, including 20 rated Outstanding. That share is measured against graded schools, not all 214: a school inspected since September 2024 has no overall grade at all.
- What is the average Academic Performance in East Sussex?
- 4.6 out of 10, averaged across the 189 schools here that can be scored, where 5 is the national average. Academic Performance combines the Ofsted judgement with DfE attainment and is ranked against comparable schools, so it is neither figure on its own.
- Why do some East Sussex schools have no Ofsted rating?
- 58 schools in East Sussex currently hold no overall grade. Ofsted stopped awarding single-word judgements in September 2024 and moved to a report card of separately graded areas, so schools inspected since then have no overall rating whatever the inspection found. Their profiles show the report card instead.
- What does East Sussex local authority do?
- A local authority is the body responsible for state education in its area — the level most admissions and school-place decisions are made at. East Sussex covers 214 schools and sits in the South East region. It does not run academies or independent schools directly, though it still coordinates admissions for most of them.
- How many pupils in East Sussex are eligible for free school meals?
- 24.5% — 15,870 of 64,887 pupils at the 184 schools that report it. Independent schools file a return with roll and sex only, so they are outside this figure rather than counted as zero.
Part of the South East region.