Downlands Community School
| Type | Secondary / Community school |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Dale Avenue Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LP |
| Phone | 01273845892 |
| Reference Number | 126087 |
Description
betaDownlands Community School, situated at Dale Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LP, is a comprehensive school for learners aged 11 to 16, with approximately 1200 pupils enrolled. The school was rated 'outstanding' across all categories by Ofsted in November 2016. Downlands Community School offers a combination of academic success and a strong community focus, as evidenced by the new math block, sports hall, and generation three AstroTurf open air training pitch, all managed on behalf of the school by Freedom Leisure and extensively used by the local community.
Mark Wignall is the headteacher of the school, and Di Hunt serves as the Chair of Governors. In 2016, Downlands achieved a success rate of 76% of students attaining at least five or more GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and Math. The establishment also features a non-selective admissions policy with a status of open. As of December 2023, 6.4% of the school population qualifies for free school meals, and the school capacity is 1200. Additionally, the school does not have separate provision for sixth form students, and it does not provide nursery classes or special education classes. Downlands Community School is part of the West Sussex Local Authority.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1255 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 49.96%
Girls: 50.04% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 7.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 3.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 23.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 136 | 132 | 268 |
| 8 | 135 | 133 | 268 |
| 9 | 119 | 122 | 241 |
| 10 | 117 | 122 | 239 |
| 11 | 120 | 119 | 239 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 83.8% |
| White, Other | 5.5% |
| Unclassified | 4.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.7% |
| White & Asian | 1.4% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.9% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.3% |
| African | 0.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.2% |
| Chinese | 0.1% |
| Indian | 0.1% |
| Irish | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| Last Inspection Date | 2022-11-24 |
| Date | Description | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-10-04 | School inspection: | School inspection: |
| 2016-11-29 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
| 2012-01-19 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
| 2010-06-30 | Interim assessment | Interim assessment |
| 2010-02-10 | Curriculum and development visit | Curriculum and development visit |
| 2006-11-30 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
| 2002-03-18 | Full inspection | Full inspection |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 54.9 | Unlock | Unlock |
Progress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| School Score | Percentile (loc) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.53 | Unlock | Unlock |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockProgress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
Data relates to students who sat their GCSE's in 2022 and was last updated in May 2024.
| Staying in Education | Unlock |
| > Further Education | Unlock |
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| > Sixth Form College | Unlock |
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| Employment | Unlock |
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| Name | Distance |
|
The Windmills Junior School
Dale Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8LS |
0.08 miles |
|
Hassocks Infant School
Chancellors Park, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8EY |
0.27 miles |
|
Ditchling St Margaret's Church of England Primary School
Lewes Road, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TU |
1.2 miles |
|
London Meed Community Primary School
Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9YQ |
1.97 miles |
|
St Lawrence CofE Primary School
Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9UY |
1.98 miles |
|
Birchwood Grove Community Primary School, Burgess Hill
Birchwood Grove Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0DP |
2.16 miles |
|
St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School
School Close, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9RJ |
2.34 miles |
|
Southway Junior School
Southway, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9SU |
2.61 miles |
|
The Gattons Infant School
Royal George Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9SL |
2.64 miles |
|
Albourne Church of England Primary School
The Street, Albourne, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9DH |
3 miles |
|
Sheddingdean Community Primary School
Petworth Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8JT |
3.03 miles |
|
Oak Tree Primary School
Junction Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 0PZ |
3.09 miles |
|
Oak Tree Primary School
Junction Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0PZ |
3.09 miles |
|
Plumpton Primary School
Southdowns, Plumpton Green, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3EB |
3.56 miles |
|
Wivelsfield Primary School
South Road, Wivelsfield Green, East Sussex, RH17 7QN |
3.98 miles |
|
Patcham Junior School
Ladies Mile Road, Patcham, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8TA |
3.99 miles |
|
Carden Nursery and Primary School
County Oak Avenue, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8LU |
4.03 miles |
|
Coldean Primary School
Kenwards, Coldean, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9EN |
4.09 miles |
|
Patcham Infant School
Highview Avenue South, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8WW |
4.15 miles |
|
Westdene Primary School
Bankside, Westdene, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5GN |
4.38 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Hurstpierpoint College
College Lane, Hassocks, BN6 9JS |
1.89 miles |
|
Woodlands Meed
Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EY |
2.05 miles |
|
The Burgess Hill Academy
Station Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9EA |
2.14 miles |
|
Burgess Hill Girls
Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0EG |
2.16 miles |
|
Hambrook School
Marle Place, Leylands Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8HY |
2.82 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic College
Jane Murray Way, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 8GA |
3.19 miles |
|
Plumpton College
Ditchling Road, Plumpton, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 3AE |
3.26 miles |
|
LVS Hassocks
London Road, Sayers Common, Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 9HT |
3.52 miles |
|
Patcham High School
Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8PB |
4.08 miles |
|
Brighton Aldridge Community Academy
Lewes Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 9PW |
4.8 miles |
|
Varndean College
Surrenden Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6WQ |
4.82 miles |
|
Varndean School
Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP |
4.91 miles |