The Lindfield School
The Lindfield School is an academy special converter in Eastbourne for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has 123 pupils on roll.
| Type | Special School / Academy special converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Lindfield Road Hampden Park Eastbourne East Sussex BN22 0BQ |
| Phone | 01323502988 |
| Reference Number | 142744 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 123 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 72.36%
Girls: 27.64% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 53.7% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.1% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| 8 | 19 | 7 | 26 |
| 9 | 14 | 10 | 24 |
| 10 | 17 | 7 | 24 |
| 11 | 19 | 5 | 24 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 88.6% |
| White, Other | 3.3% |
| African | 1.6% |
| Caribbean | 1.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.8% |
| White & Asian | 0.8% |
| Indian | 0.8% |
| Asian, Other | 0.8% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 15 Oct 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2024 | School inspection |
| 12 Mar 2019 | Short inspection |
| 07 Apr 2016 | Academy conversion letter |
| 10 Dec 2015 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as The Lindfield School | |
| 14 Sep 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Mar 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| 22 Jun 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 11 Jul 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Jun 2001 | Full inspection |
Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Further Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > School Sixth Form | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Sixth Form College | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Other Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Apprenticeships | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Not in education or employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Unknown | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
In 2024–25 pupils at The Lindfield School attended 86.1% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 32.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 5.3% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 15.2% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 8.5% | 9.9% |
| Unauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 2.6% | 4.2% | 2.9% | 4.1% | 4.0% |
| Severely absent pupils | 1.2% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 8.9% |
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, 5.0% of pupils at The Lindfield School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 8.9 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 8.3 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 7.0 | 15.8 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Lindfield School had 7.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 10.0% | 6.9% | 0.0% | 12.2% | 12.4% | 11.9% | 7.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 78.9% | 81.3% | 81.3% | – | 77.8% | 87.5% | 83.3% | 78.6% | 75.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 17.7 | 2.9 | 2.6 | – | 15.7 | 10.9 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 13.4 | – |
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 The Lindfield School had 123 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).
It says it provides for: moderate learning difficulty.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 62 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 24 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 16 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 6 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 5 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 5 |
| Physical disability | 4 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 1 |
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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2024–25 The Lindfield School received £21,296 and spent £17,195 for each of its 120 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,123,000 (£9,355 per pupil).
Across all 4 schools of The Southfield Trust, income was £25,871 and spending £22,752 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £441,000 | £581,000 | £694,000 | £790,000 | £595,000 | £767,000 | £1,123,000 |
| per pupil | £4,641 | £6,053 | £7,230 | £7,117 | £5,365 | £6,724 | £9,355 |
| In-year balance | £105,000 | £120,000 | £267,000 | £617,000 | -£50,000 | £440,000 | £492,000 |
| per pupil | £1,109 | £1,247 | £2,784 | £5,559 | -£449 | £3,856 | £4,100 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Oakwood Primary Academy
Magnolia Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 0SS |
0.21 miles |
|
Parkland Infant School
Brassey Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9QJ |
0.24 miles |
|
Parkland Junior School
Brassey Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9QJ |
0.24 miles |
|
Heron Park Primary Academy
Dallington Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9EE |
0.7 miles |
|
Ocklynge Junior School
Victoria Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8XN |
1.19 miles |
|
Willingdon Primary School
Rapsons Road, Willingdon, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 9RJ |
1.21 miles |
|
Shinewater Primary School
Milfoil Drive, Langney, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 8ED |
1.24 miles |
|
Stone Cross School
Adur Drive, Stone Cross, Pevensey, East Sussex, BN24 5EF |
1.41 miles |
|
West Rise Primary School and Nursery
Chaffinch Road, Langney, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 7SL |
1.54 miles |
|
Stafford Junior School
Ringwood Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8UA |
1.57 miles |
|
Motcombe Infants' School
Macmillan Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1SN |
1.64 miles |
|
St Thomas A Becket Catholic Primary School
3 Tutts Barn Lane, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8XT |
1.66 miles |
|
The South Downs School
Beechy Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8NU |
1.8 miles |
|
Pashley Down Infant School
Beechy Avenue, Pashley Down Infant School, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8NX |
1.83 miles |
|
Polegate Primary School
Oakleaf Drive, East Sussex, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6PT |
1.87 miles |
|
Roselands Infants' School
Woodgate Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8PD |
1.92 miles |
|
Tollgate Community Junior School
Winston Crescent, Seaside, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6NL |
1.99 miles |
|
Langney Primary Academy
Chailey Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 7EA |
2.07 miles |
|
St Andrew's Church of England Infants School
Winchelsea Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7PP |
2.07 miles |
|
Hankham Primary School
Hankham Road, Hankham, Pevensey, East Sussex, BN24 5AY |
2.18 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
The Eastbourne Academy
Brodrick Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9RQ |
0.06 miles |
|
Summerdown School
3 Broadwater Way, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 9PZ |
0.74 miles |
|
Ratton School
Park Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2XR |
0.8 miles |
|
East Sussex College Group
Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2UF |
0.89 miles |
|
The Turing School
Larkspur Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 8EJ |
1.09 miles |
|
Hazel Court School
Larkspur Drive, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 8EJ |
1.3 miles |
|
Willingdon Community School
Broad Road, Lower Willingdon, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 9QX |
1.36 miles |
|
The Cavendish School
Eldon Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 1UE |
1.49 miles |
|
Anderida Learning Centre
NEVILLE MEWS, 6A NEVILLE ROAD, EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX, BN22 8HR |
2.08 miles |
|
St Catherine's College
Priory Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 7BL |
2.18 miles |
|
Gildredge House
Compton Place Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 8AB |
2.21 miles |
|
Eastbourne College
Headmaster's House, Eastbourne, BN21 4JX |
2.74 miles |
|
St Andrew's Prep
Meads, Eastbourne, BN20 7RP |
3.27 miles |
|
Hailsham Academy
Battle Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1DT |
4.51 miles |
|
The Ropemakers' Academy
Reef Way, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1FB |
4.52 miles |
All schools in Eastbourne · East Sussex local authority: places and applications
The Lindfield School is part of The Southfield Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:
- Summerdown School Eastbourne
- Hazel Court School Eastbourne
- The South Downs School Eastbourne
How many pupils does The Lindfield School have?
The Lindfield School has 123 pupils on roll.
What age range does The Lindfield School cover?
The Lindfield School for pupils aged 11 to 16.
Where is The Lindfield School?
The Lindfield School is at Lindfield Road, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 0BQ.