Downlands Community School

Downlands Community School is a highly effective, inclusive secondary school that performs well above national averages at key stage 4. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve strongly and produce high-quality work; reading and language development are particular strengths. Teaching is consistently strong, the curriculum is well sequenced, and leaders provide clear direction with effective governance and staff support. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils are happy, safe and engaged in a wide range of personal development, enrichment and careers opportunities. The main areas for improvement relate to attendance and inclusion. Although attendance is improving and overall absence and persistent absence compare favourably with national figures, leaders' systems are not yet fully embedded, and a small number of pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, do not attend regularly enough. Inclusion is judged at expected standard: leaders identify needs accurately and provide effective support, but they recognise the need to strengthen systems for the most vulnerable pupils so all achieve consistently well. This was a full section 5 inspection. The school is larger than average, with a much lower-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and a well-above-average proportion of pupils with SEN support, but below-average EHC plans. The inspection confirms the school is performing strongly overall, with no safeguarding concerns.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well above national averages at key stage 4, including in English and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve significantly better than their peers nationally and progress well.
• Pupils produce high-quality work, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leaders' focus on reading helps pupils read complex texts and become lifelong readers.
• The curriculum is precisely organised so new learning builds securely on prior learning.
• Teaching is consistently high quality, supported by regular and highly effective training.
• Teachers check understanding carefully and adapt lessons so pupils learn what they need.
• Teaching is highly inclusive, with helpful adaptations and early intervention for pupils who need support.
• Leadership provides clear direction and accurately identifies the school's strengths and improvement areas.
• Governance is effective, with informed scrutiny and appropriate support and challenge.
• Leaders consider staff workload and wellbeing, creating a positive working environment.
• Personal development prepares pupils exceptionally well for life beyond school.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of sporting, cultural, artistic and enrichment opportunities.
• Careers education is well considered and raises pupils' aspirations.
• Pupils' positive behaviour and attitudes to learning are a strength of the school.
• Pupils feel safe, supported and valued, and bullying is rare and dealt with effectively.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance systems are not yet fully embedded, and a small number of pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, do not attend regularly enough.
• Leaders need to further strengthen systems for identifying and responding to the needs of vulnerable pupils.
• Some vulnerable pupils do not yet achieve consistently well because inclusion systems need further development.

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 Downlands Community School attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.1% 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, 5.1% of pupils at Downlands Community 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 Downlands Community School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.3% 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, 24.4% of pupils at Downlands Community School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% 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 Downlands Community School received £7,884 and spent £8,003 for each of its 1,250 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £193,000 (£154 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 Hassocks · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Downlands Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Downlands Community School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Downlands Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Downlands Community School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Downlands Community School have?

Downlands Community School has 1,250 pupils on roll.

What age range does Downlands Community School cover?

Downlands Community School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Downlands Community School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.3, and 69% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Downlands Community School?

Downlands Community School is at Dale Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LP.