Priory School

Priory School continues to demonstrate good performance, maintaining a broad and engaging curriculum that aligns with its inclusive and creative aims. Most pupils achieve well and progress to successful further educational paths or employment. The specially resourced provisions for students with complex SEND are particularly strong, offering excellent support. However, concerns exist regarding the performance of disadvantaged pupils in public examinations, as well as some variability in the support provided for SEND students in other areas of the school. Additionally, while most pupils behave well, a small number struggle to meet the school's expectations around behaviour.

Strengths

• Broad and engaging curriculum
• Strong support for pupils with complex SEND
• High quality education with ambitious aims
• Most pupils achieve well
• Effective pastoral care and support

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well in public examinations
• Inconsistent support for SEND pupils outside specialist provisions
• A small number of pupils exhibit defiant and anti-social behaviour

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 Priory School attended 87.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.9% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Priory 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 Priory School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.7% 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, 25.4% of pupils at Priory School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 Priory School received £8,170 and spent £8,318 for each of its 1,154 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £307,000 (£266 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 Lewes · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

Priory School is part of The Lewes Co-Operative Learning Partnership, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Western Road Community Primary School Lewes

What is Priory School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Priory School is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Priory School last inspected by Ofsted?

Priory School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Priory School have?

Priory School has 1,153 pupils on roll.

What age range does Priory School cover?

Priory School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Priory School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.7, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Priory School?

Priory School is at Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XN.