GCSE 2025/26
#325 of 3,312
Better than 90% of schools in England
Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.
Ofsted report cardInspected 7 Jul 2026
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 126087.
GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.
| Measure | This school | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average. | 58.3, better than England, better than West Sussex | 46.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass. | 84.9%, better than England, better than West Sussex | 67.4% | 64.8% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass. | 68.9%, better than England, better than West Sussex | 47.2% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade. | 23.9%, better than England, better than West Sussex | 12.9% | 14.2% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 82.4%, better than England, better than West Sussex | 62.7% | 60.2% |
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 238 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 1,250 |
| Girls | 606 |
| Boys | 644 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 8.2% |
| First language not English | 4% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 1,200 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 0% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 305 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 28 |
| Average class size | 23.5 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 17.2 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 11.6 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 72.48 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 15.24 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 53.81 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 73.1 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 67 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 2 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 4 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
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.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day. | 241 |
| Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed. | 499 |
| First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 257 |
| First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 229 |
| Applications from another local authority (Year 7) | 40 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 7.9%, similar to England, similar to West Sussex | 8.1% | 8% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 18%, better than England, better than West Sussex | 21.4% | 21.6% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 3.9%, similar to England, similar to West Sussex | 3.7% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
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.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 20.3% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 5.1% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms. | 95% |
| Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education. | 90.8% |
| Sixth form college | 58.8% |
| Further education | 23.5% |
| School sixth form | 7.6% |
| Apprenticeship | 2.5% |
| Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms. | 2.5% |
| Employment | 1.7% |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | Primary | The Windmills Junior School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 2 Nov 2021. | |
| 0.3 mi | Primary | Hassocks Infant School | Community school | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 14 Apr 2026. | |
| 1.2 mi | Primary | Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 5 Dec 2017. |
Downlands Community School is rated Good, last inspected on 7 Jul 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.
Downlands Community School ranks 325 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 90% of schools).
In 2025/26, 68.9% of pupils at Downlands Community School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 58.3 (England 46.2).
For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Downlands Community School made 241 offers from 499 applications (2.1 per offer), and 229 of 257 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Downlands Community School has 1,250 pupils aged 11 to 16.
Downlands Community School had 1,200 school places in 2024/25.
No, Downlands Community School teaches pupils up to age 16.
At Downlands Community School, the average class had 23.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.2 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Downlands Community School missed 7.9% of sessions (England 8%), and 18% 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.