Located in Brighton, Varndean School is a secondary school, serving pupils aged 11 to 16. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Varndean School currently has around 1497 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 48.1% boys and 51.9% girls. Around 20.4% 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 10%. Persistent absence is recorded at 24.7%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (69.5%).
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Good. This suggests the school is performing well overall. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 94% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (91%) , including 3% who stay in school sixth forms and 23% progressing to further education , while 2% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Balfour Road, Brighton, BN1 6NP |
| Website: | http://www.varndean.co.uk |
| Telephone: | 01273561281 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Secondary |
| Local authority: | Brighton and Hove |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Shelley Baker |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 114579 |
Ofsted inspection date: 05/10/2022
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 11 - 16 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 1500 |
| Number of Pupils: | 1497 |
| Number of Boys: | 720 |
| Number of Girls: | 777 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 10% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 24.7% | 8.2% |
| White British | 69.50% | 1040 |
| Other White | 8.40% | 126 |
| White and Asian | 4.60% | 69 |
| Other Mixed | 2.90% | 43 |
| Unclassified | 2.70% | 40 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 2.00% | 30 |
| White and Black African | 1.90% | 28 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 1.50% | 23 |
| Chinese | 1.40% | 21 |
| Irish | 1.20% | 18 |
| Other Asian | 1.20% | 18 |
| African | 0.90% | 13 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.80% | 12 |
| Indian | 0.70% | 11 |
| Other Black | 0.10% | 2 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.10% | 1 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.10% | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.10% | 1 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehouse Nursery School 149 Ladies Mile Road , BN1 8TB | - not rated | 1,736 yd | Local authority nursery school | Not Applicable | Not applicable | More About School |
| Tarnerland Nursery School Sussex Street , BN2 0GR | 4out of 4 | 3,145 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balfour Primary School Balfour Road , BN1 6NE | 3out of 4 | 321 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Balfour Junior School Balfour Road , BN1 6NE | - not rated | 417 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Hertford Junior School Lynchet Close , BN1 7FP | - not rated | 1,067 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Preston Road , Withdean BN1 6UT | 3out of 4 | 1,108 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Hertford Primary School Lynchet Close , BN1 7FP | - not rated | 1,126 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varndean School Balfour Road , BN1 6NP | 3out of 4 | 0 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Dorothy Stringer School Loder Road , BN1 6PZ | 3out of 4 | 508 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Patcham High School Ladies Mile Road , BN1 8PB | 3out of 4 | 1,549 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Margaret Hardy School Ladies Mile Road , Patcham BN1 8PB | - not rated | 1,549 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Girls | More About School |
| Patcham Fawcett School Ladies Mile Road , Patcham BN1 8TE | - not rated | 1,767 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Boys | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varndean College Surrenden Road , BN1 6WQ | - not rated | 509 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College 205 Dyke Road , BN3 6EG | - not rated | 2,248 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| City College Brighton and Hove Pelham Street , BN1 4FA | - not rated | 2,628 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adina School 29 Beechwood Close , BN1 8EP | - not rated | 648 yd | Other independent special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Castledean School Lynchet Close , BN1 7FP | - not rated | 1,061 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Uplands School Lynchet Close , Hollingdean BN1 7FP | - not rated | 1,061 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Central Hub Brighton Lynchet Close , BN1 7FP | 3out of 4 | 1,078 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Brighton and Hove Montessori School 67 Stanford Avenue , BN1 6FB | - not rated | 1,102 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.