The South Downs School
Beechy Avenue, Eastbourne, BN20 8NU
- Phase
- Academies
- School type
- Academy special converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- THE SOUTHFIELD TRUST
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Rachael Smart
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- SEN provision
- SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
- Constituency
- Eastbourne
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 160
- Pupils on roll
- 164
- URN
- 142745
- Local authority
- East Sussex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01323730302
About this school
The South Downs School is a special academy in Eastbourne. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 164 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 13 November 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 14 | 19 | 15 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
| Reading progress | -6.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -6.90 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -7.20 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The South Downs School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | East Sussex average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 0% | 54.8% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 0% | 56.2% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 0% | 57.6% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 12.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 11.2% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 9.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 144 |
| 2023/24 | 168 |
| 2024/25 | 178 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 36.53%
- English as an additional language
- 9%
- Overall absence
- 9.94%
- Persistent absence
- 32.43%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Summerdown School1.4 miles
Free Schools · Eastbourne
-
Eastbourne College1.6 miles
Independent schools · Eastbourne
-
Anderida Learning Centre1.7 miles
Special schools · Eastbourne
-
St Andrew's Prep1.7 miles
Independent schools · Eastbourne
-
The Lindfield School1.8 miles
Academies · Eastbourne
Other schools in Eastbourne
- Anderida Learning Centre Special schools
- Hazel Court School Academies
- Summerdown School Free Schools
- The Lindfield School Academies
- Bourne Primary School Primary
- Heron Park Primary Academy Primary
- Langney Primary Academy Primary
- Motcombe Infants' School Primary
- Oakwood Primary Academy Primary
- Ocklynge Junior School Primary
- Parkland Infant School Primary
- Parkland Junior School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does The South Downs School teach?
- The South Downs School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a special school in Eastbourne.
- Who is the executive headteacher of The South Downs School?
- The executive headteacher of The South Downs School is Mrs Rachael Smart, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was The South Downs School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The South Downs School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is The South Downs School?
- The South Downs School has 164 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is The South Downs School full?
- The South Downs School has capacity for 160 pupils and 164 on roll (102%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The South Downs School a faith school?
- No. The South Downs School has no designated religious character.
- Who runs The South Downs School?
- The South Downs School is part of THE SOUTHFIELD TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What SEN provision does The South Downs School have?
- The schools register lists The South Downs School's special educational needs provision as: SLCN - Speech, language and Communication; ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty; SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty; PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have The South Downs School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 0% in 2022/23 and 0% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What is The South Downs School's absence rate?
- The South Downs School's overall absence rate is 9.9% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The South Downs School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The South Downs School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 2 July 2026.