Schools in East Sussex
162 schools with published admissions figures
The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.
How the 2026 round went in East Sussex
Primary
-
Offered their first choice
91.1%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 87.3% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
97.7%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
4,559
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 91.1% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 97.7% were offered one of the three schools they named.
That is 3.9 points higher than in 2016, when it was 87.3%.
The council's primary schools between them had 5,501 places for 4,559 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.
Secondary
-
Offered their first choice
86.3%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 90.9% in 2016.
-
Offered one of their three
95.9%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
-
Families who applied
4,990
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.
For September 2026, 86.3% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 95.9% were offered one of the three schools they named.
That is 4.6 points lower than in 2016, when it was 90.9%.
The council's secondary schools between them had 5,496 places for 4,990 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.
Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.
If a family is refused a place
In 2026, families in East Sussex lodged 400 appeals about a school place.
211 of them were heard by a panel and 37 succeeded, which is about 18 in every 100 heard.
The other 189 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.
This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.
Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.
All Through
| School | 1st prefs per place | Demand since | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gildredge House
Eastbourne |
1.03 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| Hailsham Academy
Hailsham |
0.65 | - | Inadequate Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
| The Cavendish School
Eastbourne |
1.54 | - | Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework) |
Elsewhere
- Most sought-after schools in East Sussex by first preferences per place
- Schools in BN10 (4)
- Schools in BN20 (5)
- Schools in BN21 (3)
- Schools in BN22 (8)
- Schools in BN23 (6)
- Schools in BN24 (3)
- Schools in BN25 (5)
- Schools in BN27 (7)
- Schools in BN6 (5)
- Schools in BN7 (7)
- Schools in BN8 (11)
- Schools in BN9 (5)
- Schools in RH17 (11)
- Schools in TN19 (3)
- Schools in TN21 (7)
- Schools in TN22 (14)
- Schools in TN3 (7)
- Schools in TN31 (7)
- Schools in TN32 (4)
- Schools in TN33 (7)
- Schools in TN34 (5)
- Schools in TN35 (5)
- Schools in TN37 (5)
- Schools in TN38 (5)
- What data we hold