OFSTED
Latest ungraded inspection
16 October 2024
Latest published outcome
Standards maintained
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy special converter
Phase
Not applicable
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Does not apply
Local authority
East Sussex
Trust
THE SOUTHFIELD TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics
for 2025/26.
2025/26
Total pupils
123
123 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
34
27.6% of pupils
Male pupils
89
72.4% of pupils
28.9 pts
above England
School
53.7%
Eastbourne
26.9%
South East
19.0%
England
24.8%
16.2 pts
below England
School
4.1%
Eastbourne
13.8%
South East
15.6%
England
20.3%
1.0 pts
below England
School
0.0%
Eastbourne
0.9%
South East
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
Any other White background
3.3%
4
Any other Asian background
0.8%
1
Any other ethnic group
0.8%
1
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an
education, health and care plan.
2025/26
Pupils with SEN
100.0%
123 of
123 pupils
79.2 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
SEN support
0.0%
0 pupils
England
14.8%
14.8 pts
below
EHC plans
100.0%
123 pupils
England
6.0%
94.0 pts
above
PRIMARY NEEDS
Most common identified needs
Pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder
62
Moderate learning difficulty
24
Speech, language & communication
16
Social, emotional & mental health
6
Other difficulty or disability
5
Specific learning difficulty
5
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published
2025/26 Department for Education school-level data.
Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support
and pupils with EHC plans.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education
absence data for
2024/25.
Lower absence rates are generally
better.
2024/25
ABSENCE RATE
Overall absence
13.90%
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
7.68 pts
higher than
England
School
13.90%
Eastbourne
7.59%
South East
6.30%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
Persistent absence
32.52%
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
16.70 pts
higher than
England
School
32.52%
Eastbourne
20.67%
South East
15.75%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
Severe absence
8.94%
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
7.14 pts
higher than
England
School
8.94%
Eastbourne
2.41%
South East
1.93%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open
not applicable schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
129.5%
49.7 pts
above England
The Lindfield School
129.5%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.