White House Academy

White House Academy has shown significant improvement since being taken over by the STEP Academy Trust two years ago. The school is now considered a calm and conducive learning environment where pupils display confidence and politeness. Behaviour has greatly improved, with effective measures against bullying in place, allowing the students to focus on their learning. The headteacher and leadership team have successfully introduced an ambitious curriculum, which has contributed to enhanced educational outcomes and increased student achievement, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is the school's first inspection since being re-brokered into the trust, and the positive transformation has been noted by staff, parents, and students alike.

Strengths

• Outstanding leadership and management
• Effective behaviour management resulting in a calm learning environment
• Well-designed curriculum that enables secure knowledge and skills development
• Strong emphasis on developing reading and mathematics skills
• High expectations for pupil conduct and academic performance
• Commitment to staff development with many pursuing advanced qualifications
• Pupils exhibit strong character and pride in their school
• Effective safeguarding measures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Legacy of weak teaching affecting past outcomes in key stage 2
• Insufficient real-life application of mathematical learning

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 White House Academy attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 26.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 2.1% of pupils at White House Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 White House Academy had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 25.3% of pupils at White House Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 White House Academy received £8,234 and spent £6,689 for each of its 191 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £58,000 (£304 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Step Academy Trust, income was £8,072 and spending £8,194 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 Hailsham · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

White House Academy is part of Step Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Thornton Grove Academy Hailsham
• Hawkes Farm Academy Hailsham
• Breakwater Academy Newhaven
• High Cliff Academy Newhaven
• Peacehaven Heights Academy Peacehaven
• Telscombe Cliffs Academy Peacehaven
• Tudor Academy Croydon
• Applegarth Academy Croydon
• Heathfield Academy Croydon
• La Fontaine Academy Bromley

What is White House Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for White House Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was White House Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

White House Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does White House Academy have?

White House Academy has 190 pupils on roll.

What age range does White House Academy cover?

White House Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are White House Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is White House Academy?

White House Academy is at Marshfoot Lane, White House Academy, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2FB.