Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 152103.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 253 |
| Girls | 130 |
| Boys | 123 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 39.9% |
| First language not English | 13.8% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 64 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 7 |
| Average class size | 21.7 |
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 | 15.6 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 9.4 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 15.42 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 9.32 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 15.03 |
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 (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 30 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 41 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 33 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 30 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 0 |
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 | East Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 9.1%, worse than England, worse than East Sussex | 5.7% | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 28.1%, worse than England, worse than East Sussex | 15% | 13.2% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 4.5%, worse than England, worse than East Sussex | 1.4% | 1% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 mi | Primary | White House Academy | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 17 Sept 2019. | |
| 0.6 mi | All-through | Hailsham Academy | Academy converter | Inadequate Ofsted rating. Inspected 13 Mar 2023. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Grovelands Community Primary School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 4 Feb 2020. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | Hawkes Farm Academy | Academy sponsor led | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 19 Nov 2024. |
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Thornton Grove Academy made 30 offers from 41 applications (1.4 per offer), and 30 of 33 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Thornton Grove Academy has 253 pupils aged 3 to 11.
At Thornton Grove Academy, the average class had 21.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.6 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Thornton Grove Academy missed 9.1% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 28.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).
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.