School profile

Chailey School

Secondary · Community school · Lewes, BN8 4PU

Good

Map showing Chailey School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,029 of 3,312

Better than 68% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Chailey School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Feb 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils862
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Paul Holt
Local authorityEast Sussex
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 114594.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolEast SussexEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.49.7, better than England, better than East Sussex43.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.68.8%, better than England, better than East Sussex63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.57.6%, better than England, better than East Sussex44.1%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.15.9%, similar to England, better than East Sussex10.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths66.5%, better than England, better than East Sussex58.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4170--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils862
Girls418
Boys444
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.14.8%
First language not English2.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.870
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0.9%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.130
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.30
Average class size26.8

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
70.5%
Other White
3.8%
Other mixed
1.7%
White and Asian
1.3%
White and Black African
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
Irish
0.2%
Gypsy/Roma
0.2%
African
0.2%
Other ethnic group
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.6
Teachers (FTE)51.06
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.29
Support staff (FTE)26.64
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2550.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2544.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.174
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.552
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.219
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.159
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)166

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEast SussexEngland
Overall absence7.4%, better than England, better than East Sussex8.9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.9%, better than England, better than East Sussex23.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.5%, better than England, better than East Sussex4.3%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate12.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.88.4%
Further education45.8%
Sixth form college35.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9%
School sixth form5.8%
Employment1.9%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Chailey School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
1.4 miPrimaryChailey St Peter's Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
1.5 miPrimaryPlumpton Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Chailey School

What is Chailey School's Ofsted rating?

Chailey School is rated Good, last inspected on 10 Feb 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Chailey School rank in England?

Chailey School ranks 1,029 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 68% of schools).

What are Chailey School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 57.6% of pupils at Chailey School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 49.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Chailey School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Chailey School made 174 offers from 552 applications (3.2 per offer), and 159 of 219 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Chailey School?

Chailey School has 862 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Chailey School?

Chailey School had 870 school places in 2024/25.

Does Chailey School have a sixth form?

No, Chailey School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Chailey School?

At Chailey School, the average class had 26.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Chailey School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Chailey School missed 7.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.