Best secondary schools in East Sussex (2026)
East Sussex has 32 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is King's School, in the top 12% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 44.7, against 46.1 for England. 0 are in England's top 10%, and 2 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. East Sussex has no grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 12% in England |
King's School Brighton and Hove · Church of England |
56.0 | 53.7 | 59% | Report card | |
2 Top 19% in England |
Varndean School Brighton and Hove |
52.3 | 48.8 | 56% | Good | |
3 Top 20% in England |
Dorothy Stringer School Brighton and Hove |
52.3 | 53.3 | 62% | Good | |
4 Top 22% in England |
Beacon Academy Crowborough |
51.3 | 50.2 | 61% | Outstanding | |
5 Top 24% in England |
Cardinal Newman Catholic School Brighton and Hove · Roman Catholic |
52.2 | 50.4 | 48% | Not judged | |
6 Top 24% in England |
Blatchington Mill School Brighton and Hove |
51.0 | 51.0 | 62% | No rating | |
7 Top 25% in England |
Heathfield Community College Cade Street |
51.6 | 50.6 | 54% | Good | |
8 Top 26% in England |
Priory School Lewes |
50.3 | 46.4 | 52% | No rating | |
9 Top 28% in England |
Claverham Community College Battle |
50.4 | 50.3 | 56% | No rating | |
10 Top 29% in England |
Chailey School South Chailey |
50.1 | 49.3 | 52% | Report card | |
11 Top 33% in England |
The Cavendish School Eastbourne |
48.8 | 47.3 | 53% | Not judged | |
12 Top 33% in England |
Seaford Head School Seaford |
49.1 | 49.4 | 50% | No rating | |
13 Top 35% in England |
Uckfield College Uckfield |
49.0 | 47.0 | 46% | Outstanding | |
14 Top 42% in England |
Gildredge House Eastbourne |
47.3 | 46.7 | 45% | Not judged | |
15 Top 45% in England |
St Catherine's College Eastbourne · Church of England |
46.8 | 47.6 | 46% | Good | |
16 Top 48% in England |
King's Academy Ringmer Ringmer |
47.1 | 47.6 | 41% | No rating | |
17 Top 48% in England |
Patcham High School Brighton and Hove |
45.8 | 45.5 | 45% | No rating | |
18 Top 49% in England |
Willingdon Community School Lower Willingdon |
46.0 | 45.0 | 48% | No rating | |
19 Bottom 46% in England |
Portslade Aldridge Community Academy Brighton and Hove |
44.7 | 42.7 | 43% | Report card | |
20 Bottom 41% in England |
Uplands Academy Wadhurst |
44.1 | 42.5 | 37% | No rating | |
21 Bottom 40% in England |
Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre Brighton and Hove |
43.7 | 41.1 | 35% | Report card | |
22 Bottom 39% in England |
Ratton School Eastbourne |
43.4 | 43.0 | 43% | Report card | |
23 Bottom 26% in England |
Bexhill High Academy Bexhill-on-Sea |
40.8 | 41.7 | 34% | Not judged | |
24 Bottom 24% in England |
Seahaven Academy Newhaven |
39.8 | 40.3 | 40% | Report card | |
25 Bottom 21% in England |
Ark Alexandra Academy Hastings · Church of England |
39.8 | 42.6 | 41% | Report card | |
26 Bottom 18% in England |
Peacehaven Community School Peacehaven |
39.5 | 40.1 | 33% | Good | |
27 Bottom 13% in England |
Rye College Rye |
36.9 | 36.8 | 35% | Good | |
28 Bottom 10% in England |
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy Brighton and Hove |
36.6 | 36.2 | 23% | Not judged | |
29 Bottom 6% in England |
Longhill High School Brighton and Hove |
34.9 | 32.9 | 22% | Requires improvement | |
30 Bottom 4% in England |
Mulberry Academy Hastings Bachelor's Bump |
34.0 | 38.2 | 27% | Report card | |
31 Bottom 4% in England |
The Eastbourne Academy Eastbourne |
34.0 | 37.7 | 25% | Not judged | |
32 Bottom 3% in England |
The Turing School Eastbourne |
32.9 | 34.6 | 27% | Report card |
Best secondary school in each town
- Brighton and Hove · best: King's School
- Eastbourne · best: The Cavendish School
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in East Sussex?
On exam results over the last three years, King's School is the top-ranked secondary school in East Sussex, in the top 12% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.