Varndean School

Varndean School has established a strong reputation for providing quality education, as evidenced by its overall effectiveness rating of good. The leadership is particularly commendable, with inspirational leaders driving rapid transformations and prioritizing support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. The school boasts an impressive range of extracurricular activities and fosters a positive, respectful atmosphere where pupils are well-prepared for their future endeavors. The current inspection represents the school's first routine evaluation since the pandemic, highlighting its resilience and commitment to continuous improvement.

Strengths

• Inspirational leadership driving rapid improvements.
• Exceptional pastoral care making pupils feel known and supported.
• High levels of pupil involvement in extracurricular activities.
• Outstanding behavior and attitudes among pupils.
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Effective teaching strategies that engage pupils and promote understanding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some isolated examples of less coherent subject planning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Varndean School attended 90.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.3% of pupils at Varndean School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Varndean School had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 29.5% of pupils at Varndean School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Varndean School received £8,689 and spent £8,636 for each of its 1,497 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £741,000 (£495 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Brighton · Brighton and Hove local authority: places and applications

What is Varndean School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Varndean School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Varndean School last inspected by Ofsted?

Varndean School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Varndean School have?

Varndean School has 1,487 pupils on roll.

What age range does Varndean School cover?

Varndean School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Varndean School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 54.7, and 68% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Varndean School?

Varndean School is at Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP.