School Chooser

Buckswood School

Independent · ages 10-19MixedIndependent193 pupilsSixth formEast Sussex
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths2%England 46%
Places260 spare193 pupils, 453 places
Average A level gradeC2024/25
Pupils on roll193Census January 2024

Buckswood School is an independent school in East Sussex for boys and girls aged 10 to 19. It has 193 pupils and room for 453.

Broomham Hall, Rye Road, Guestling, East Sussex, TN35 4LT01424 813813buckswood.co.ukPrincipal Kevin Samson headmasterAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

58 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score16.1
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths2%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths2%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 19.519.520182019: 18.618.620192022: 14.214.220222023: 8.88.820232024: 15.515.520242025: 16.116.12025
Since 2018: -3.4
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018East SussexEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11587665684173
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 816.115.58.814.218.619.544.346.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths2%0%0%0%0%0%43%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths2%0%0%0%0%0%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score1.421.580.821.431.911.693.914.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%39%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 9 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

English Literature72%grades 9 to 5, England 58%
Business60%grades 9 to 5, England 51%
What is taught here
LanguagesSpanish7

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
39%England 36%
58%England 54%
Business20 entries
60%England 51%
72%England 58%
Physics11 entries
18%England 82%
Biology11 entries
36%England 82%
Art and Design11 entries
91%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Combined Science264%39%65%36%
English Language2413%58%83%54%
Business2015%60%70%51%
English Literature1833%72%89%58%
Physics1118%18%27%82%
Biology1118%36%64%82%
Art and Design1173%91%100%58%
History813%75%75%52%
Spanish757%100%100%54%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

76 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC31.0 points per entry
A level progress+0.56Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better13%with two subjects universities favour
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students76726746119183
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry30.9825.2627.3932.7326.9628.75
Average A level gradeCC-C-C+C-C
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS31.3029.0130.2933.5228.4327.03
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects13%4%4%11%15%7%
A level progressA level value added+0.56+0.07+0.20+0.53

A level subjects

6 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics13Business Studies12Economics6Chemistry5Japanese5Biology5
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics13 entries · 31% A* or A · 77% passed
62%England 60%
Business Studies12 entries · 0% A* or A · 83% passed
0%England 47%
Economics6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
0%England 57%
Chemistry5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 53%
Japanese5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%
Biology5 entries · 0% A* or A · 0% passed
0%England 49%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
15.817.1
Gap 1.3England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to East Sussex council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll193Census January 2024
Places45343% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support12%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan0%0 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls117 / 76
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll193250277289294274
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%11%8%12%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%0%0%

What pupils do next

After sixth form

Where the 67 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training39%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers
Still in education, work or training39%38%36%
Education36%31%32%
Apprenticeship0%0%2%
Work3%7%3%
Not in education, work or training6%7%5%

The area around the school

Local crime rate39 per 1,000 people57% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Rother
Nearest bus stop160 mBuckswood School, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Guestling Bradshaw Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England0.8 miles194Good 202263Compare
Icklesham Church of England Primary School and NurseryChurch of England1.7 miles121Good 202460Compare
Mulberry Academy HastingsAcademy2.0 miles833Report card 20267Compare
Ore Village Primary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles274Good 202418Compare
Westfield SchoolCouncil2.4 miles180Good 202332Compare
Sandown Primary School and NurseryCouncil2.4 miles472Not inspected90Compare
All Saints CofE Junior AcademyAcademy3.1 miles222Good 202349Compare
Brede Primary SchoolCouncil3.2 miles97Report card 202677Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Buckswood School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Buckswood School yet.

How good are Buckswood School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 2% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 16.1, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Buckswood School have?

193 pupils aged 10 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 453 places, so it is 43% full.

Does Buckswood School have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 6 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Broomham Hall, Rye Road, Guestling, East Sussex, TN35 4LT
Telephone
01424 813813
Website
www.buckswood.co.uk
Headmaster
Principal Kevin Samson
Type of school
Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
Phase
Independent school, ages 10-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
East Sussex
Ward
Southern Rother
Constituency
Hastings and Rye
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
4 October 1978
URN
114656 · LAESTAB 8456031 · UKPRN 10009742

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from