The Eastbourne Academy

The Eastbourne Academy is currently performing significantly below the standard that pupils should reasonably expect. Inspectors found serious weaknesses in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management, while personal development requires improvement. Pupils have underachieved for too long, GCSE outcomes were very low and declined further in 2024, learning is often disjointed, and the curriculum is not delivered consistently well. Behaviour disrupts many lessons, and some pupils are worried by bullying, derogatory language and the conduct of others, with some not feeling able to be themselves.

Strengths

• Well-developed pastoral support helps pupils with concerns
• SEND needs are clearly understood and adaptations are set out for staff
• The TLC autism resourced provision supports pupils well
• Reading is a priority, with systematic checks and targeted phonics intervention
• Careers education is precisely targeted and raises pupils' aspiration
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Most staff feel well supported by leaders and workload is managed appropriately
• New behaviour and attendance initiatives are beginning to have a positive impact

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement is very low, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• The curriculum is not delivered consistently well, so pupils' learning is disjointed
• Staff checks on what pupils understand are not consistently effective
• Too much lesson time is disrupted by poor behaviour
• Behaviour expectations are not consistently high and sanctions are not reliably followed up
• Bullying and derogatory language are concerns for some pupils
• Persistent absence and regular absence remain high
• Historical leadership and governance oversight has been ineffective
• Personal development has not ensured pupils treat others with dignity and respect
• Few pupils study the English Baccalaureate group of qualifications

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 The Eastbourne Academy attended 89.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.2% 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, 13.8% of pupils at The Eastbourne Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 The Eastbourne Academy had 13.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% 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, 17.0% of pupils at The Eastbourne Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 1 pupil.

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 2024–25 The Eastbourne Academy received £9,347 and spent £9,885 for each of its 800 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £326,000 (£407 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Swale Academies Trust, income was £8,268 and spending £8,248 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Eastbourne · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

The Eastbourne Academy is part of Swale Academies Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Parkland Infant School Eastbourne
• Parkland Junior School Eastbourne
• The Turing School Eastbourne
• Shinewater Primary School Eastbourne
• Langney Primary Academy Eastbourne
• Peacehaven Community School Peacehaven
• South Borough Primary School Maidstone
• Beaver Green Primary School Ashford
• The North School Ashford
• The Holmesdale School Snodland

What is The Eastbourne Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Eastbourne Academy is Inadequate, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Eastbourne Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Eastbourne Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Eastbourne Academy have?

The Eastbourne Academy has 776 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Eastbourne Academy cover?

The Eastbourne Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Eastbourne Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.1, and 26% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Eastbourne Academy?

The Eastbourne Academy is at Brodrick Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9RQ.