Academy sponsor led · Secondary
Burgess Hill · RH15 9EA · West Sussex
Ages 11–16
Status: Open
2.1 miles away
OpenSecondaryURN 126087
Downlands Community School
Community school · Hassocks · BN6 8LP
Phase
Secondary
Age range
Ages 11–16
Pupils
1,250
Local authority
West Sussex
Age range
Ages 11–16
05111619
Provision snapshot
Based on official GIAS characteristics
0 / 6
- NurseryNo Nursery Classes
- Sixth formDoes not have a sixth form
- BoardingNo boarders
- Special school
- Independent
- Academy
Local context
How this school sits among open establishments in its area, using official GIAS records. These are counts, not rankings.
Mixed community school (secondary), Ages 11–16, in Hassocks, West Sussex, 1,250 pupils on roll. Notable characteristics: non-selective admissions. Free school meals: 8.2%.
Nearby secondary schools
Open schools within about 3 miles, prioritising the same phase where possible. Distances are approximate from GIAS coordinates.
- Compare
- Compare
Community school · Primary
Hassocks · BN6 8LS · West Sussex
Ages 7–11
Status: Open
0.1 miles away
- Compare
Community school · Primary
Hassocks · BN6 8EY · West Sussex
Ages 4–7
Status: Open
0.3 miles away
- Compare
Academy converter · Primary
Ditchling · BN6 8TU · East Sussex
Ages 2–11
Status: Open
1.2 miles away
- Compare
Other independent school
Hassocks · BN6 9JS · West Sussex
Ages 4–19
Status: Open
1.9 miles away
- Compare
Community school · Primary
Burgess Hill · RH15 9YQ · West Sussex
Ages 4–11
Status: Open
2.0 miles away
- Compare
Academy converter · Primary
Hassocks · BN6 9UY · West Sussex
Ages 5–11
Status: Open
2.0 miles away
- Compare
Foundation special school
Burgess Hill · RH15 9EY · West Sussex
Ages 2–19
Status: Open
2.0 miles away
Overview
- School type
- Community school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Age range
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Status
- Open
- URN
- 126087
Location
- Address
- Dale Avenue
- Postcode
- BN6 8LP
- Town
- Hassocks
- County
- West Sussex
- Local authority
- West Sussex
- District
- Mid Sussex
- Constituency
- Mid Sussex
- Urban/rural
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Size & intake
Pupil numbers and free school meals come from the GIAS school census fields. Capacity fill is calculated when both pupils and capacity are published. Census date: 15 Jan 2026.
- Pupils on roll
- 1,250
- Boys / girls
- 644 / 606
- School capacity
- 1,200
- Capacity fill
- 1,250 / 1,200 (104%)
- Free school meals
- 8.2%
- FSM pupils
- 103
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Gender
- Mixed
School characteristics
- Nursery provision
- No Nursery Classes
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Special classes
- No Special Classes
- Governance
- Community school
Contact
- Headteacher
- Mr Matt Ashdown
- Telephone
- 01273845892
Official links
Ofsted
Latest inspection outcomes from Ofsted monthly management information. Report-card grades use the current framework where published; older OEIF grades are shown when that is the latest graded inspection.
Headline
Good
Inspection date
2022-10-04
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding effective
- Yes
Performance
Official school-level results from DfE school and college performance tables. Figures are not rankings — suppressed or unavailable values are omitted.
Key stage 4 (2023/24)
- Attainment 8
- 54.9
- Progress 8
- 0.5
- English & maths grade 5+
- 58%
- English & maths grade 4+
- 77%
- EBacc entry
- 74%
- EBacc APS
- 5.1
Absence
Pupil absence rates from DfE pupil absence in schools in England. Persistent absence means 10% or more of sessions missed; severe absence means 50% or more. Lower figures are better.
Academic year 2023/24
Overall absence
7.7%
Persistent absence
19.9%
Unauthorised
1.6%
- Authorised absence
- 6.0%
- Severe absence (50%+)
- 2.4%
- Enrolments in measure
- 1,274
Recent years
- 2022/23
- Overall 7.2% · Persistent 18.8%
- 2021/22
- Overall 7.6% · Persistent 20.0%