Durrington High School

Durrington High School is performing well, maintaining a good overall effectiveness as reflected in its recent inspection. The school has built a positive culture where pupils feel valued and supported, eager to meet high expectations set by their teachers. The school's commitment to providing a broad and engaging curriculum, alongside strong extra-curricular offerings, enhances pupil engagement and prepares them for future educational pathways. Although the previous inspection was also good, the latest assessment notes both strengths and areas for improvement, indicating proactive leadership and a clear vision for continued development.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between teachers and pupils.
• High expectations and a supportive learning environment.
• Broad curriculum with exciting extra-curricular activities.
• Effective adaptation of lessons for pupils with special educational needs.
• Knowledgeable and passionate subject leaders.
• Celebration of pupil successes through awards and assemblies.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements and staff training.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupils' understanding before moving on in lessons.
• PSHE curriculum is not yet fully embedded.

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 Durrington High School attended 91.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.4% 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, 6.4% of pupils at Durrington High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Durrington High School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.4% 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, 19.6% of pupils at Durrington High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.5% 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 2024–25 Durrington High School received £7,711 and spent £7,330 for each of its 1,606 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,270,000 (£2,659 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Durrington Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,524 and spending £6,248 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 Worthing · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

Durrington High School is part of Durrington Multi Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• The Laurels Primary School, Worthing Worthing
• Oak Tree Primary School Burgess Hill
• Ringmer Primary and Nursery School Lewes

What is Durrington High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Durrington High School is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

When was Durrington High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Durrington High School was last inspected in May 2022.

How many pupils does Durrington High School have?

Durrington High School has 1,572 pupils on roll.

What age range does Durrington High School cover?

Durrington High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Durrington High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.4, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Durrington High School?

Durrington High School is at The Boulevard, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 1JX.