The South Downs School is a not applicable school in Eastbourne, serving pupils aged 4 to 11. The school is a academy special converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
The South Downs School currently has around 178 pupils on roll, which is about 111% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 70.2% boys and 29.8% girls. Around 35.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 11.2%. Persistent absence is recorded at 41.8%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (76.4%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Outstanding. This indicates exceptional performance across all areas. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Beechy Avenue, Eastbourne, BN20 8NU |
| Website: | www.thesouthfieldtrust.com |
| Telephone: | 01323730302 |
| School Type: | Academy special converter |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | East Sussex |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Rachael Smart |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 142745 |
Ofsted inspection date: 25/06/2014
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 4 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 160 |
| Number of Pupils: | 178 |
| Number of Boys: | 125 |
| Number of Girls: | 53 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 11.2% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 41.8% | 8.2% |
| White British | 76.40% | 136 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 4.50% | 8 |
| Other White | 3.40% | 6 |
| White and Asian | 2.80% | 5 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 2.20% | 4 |
| Other Mixed | 2.20% | 4 |
| African | 1.70% | 3 |
| Indian | 1.70% | 3 |
| White and Black African | 1.10% | 2 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.10% | 2 |
| Other Asian | 1.10% | 2 |
| Pakistani | 0.60% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.60% | 1 |
| Unclassified | 0.60% | 1 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pashley Down Infant School Beechy Avenue , BN20 8NX | 3out of 4 | 147 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Motcombe Infants' School Macmillan Drive , BN21 1SN | 3out of 4 | 645 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ocklynge Junior School Victoria Drive , BN20 8XN | - not rated | 1,086 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ocklynge Junior School Victoria Drive , BN20 8XN | - not rated | 1,086 yd | Academy sponsor led | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Thomas A Becket Catholic Junior School Tutts Barn Lane , BN22 8XT | - not rated | 2,028 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cavendish School Eldon Road , BN21 1UE | - not rated | 732 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ratton School Park Avenue , BN21 2XR | - not rated | 1,755 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ratton School Park Avenue , BN21 2XR | 3out of 4 | 1,755 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| The Eastbourne Academy Brodrick Road , BN22 9RQ | - not rated | 3,227 yd | Academy sponsor led | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Park College Eastbourne King's Drive , BN21 2UN | - not rated | 1,924 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| East Sussex College Group Cross Levels Way , BN21 2UF | - not rated | 2,068 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sussex Downs College Cross Levels Way , BN21 2UF | - not rated | 2,069 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology Cross Levels Way , BN21 2UF | - not rated | 2,069 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cavendish School Eldon Road , BN21 1UE | - not rated | 732 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Gildredge House Compton Place Road , BN20 8AB | - not rated | 1,584 yd | Free schools | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The South Downs Community Special School Beechy Avenue , BN20 8NU | - not rated | 0 yd | Community special school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| The South Downs School Beechy Avenue , BN20 8NU | 4out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy special converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Beresford House School Summerdown Road , BN20 8DS | - not rated | 998 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Not applicable | More About School |
| Eastbourne Tutorial Unit 9 Park Lane , BN21 2UU | - not rated | 1,954 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Roedean Moira House Upper Carlisle Road , BN20 7TE | - not rated | 2,286 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Girls | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.