School profile

Seaford Head School

Secondary · Academy converter · Seaford, BN25 4LX

Outstanding

Map showing Seaford Head School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,218 of 3,312

Better than 63% of schools in England

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

A-level 2024/25

#741 of 2,536

Better than 70% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Seaford Head School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 13 Sept 2017

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,461
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherRobert Ellis
TrustSEAFORD LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityEast Sussex
Opened01 Aug 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138473.

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.48.5, better than England, better than East Sussex43.746.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.74.2%, better than England, better than East Sussex63.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.54.6%, 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.13.3%, similar to England, better than East Sussex10.2%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths69.6%, better than England, better than East Sussex58.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4240--

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

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolEast SussexEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.37.16, better than England, better than East Sussex32.6835
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels34.9, similar to England, better than East Sussex31.4835.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better27.3%, better than England, better than East Sussex9.8%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.19, better than England--
A-level progressAbove average, better than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study101--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,461
Girls706
Boys755
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.18.5%
First language not English5.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,575
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.7.2%
Sixth form places2024/25355
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.91
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.33
Average class size22

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
79.8%
Other White
3.5%
African
2.6%
Other mixed
2.2%
White and Asian
1.6%
Other Asian
1.6%
Indian
1.1%
White and Black Caribbean
1%
Bangladeshi
0.8%
White and Black African
0.7%

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 teacher16.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.9
Teachers (FTE)87.21
Teaching assistants (FTE)7.73
Support staff (FTE)39.69
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2589
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2581.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.6

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.231
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.413
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.245
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.226
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)17

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 absence9.2%, worse than England, similar to East Sussex8.9%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.9%, similar to England, similar to East Sussex23.6%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.4%, worse than England, similar to 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 rate1.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.3%
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.92.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.88.8%
School sixth form35.8%
Further education34.5%
Sixth form college17.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6%
Employment2.2%
Apprenticeship1.3%

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

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.89.4%
Higher education48.2%
Employment31.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.2%
Further education5.9%
Apprenticeship2.4%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 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 Seaford Head School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryAnnecy Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryChyngton SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimarySeaford Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryCradle Hill Community Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Seaford Head School

What is Seaford Head School's Ofsted rating?

Seaford Head School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 13 Sept 2017.

How does Seaford Head School rank in England?

Seaford Head School ranks 1,218 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 63% of schools) and 741 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 70% of schools).

What are Seaford Head School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 54.6% of pupils at Seaford Head School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 48.5 (England 46.2).

What are Seaford Head School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Seaford Head School was B-, and 27.3% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Seaford Head School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Seaford Head School made 231 offers from 413 applications (1.8 per offer), and 226 of 245 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Seaford Head School?

Seaford Head School has 1,461 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Seaford Head School?

Seaford Head School had 1,575 school places in 2024/25.

Does Seaford Head School have a sixth form?

Yes, Seaford Head School has a sixth form with 355 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Seaford Head School?

At Seaford Head School, the average class had 22 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Seaford Head School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Seaford Head School missed 9.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.9% 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.