Oathall Community College
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Oathall Community College is a council school in Haywards Heath for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,341 pupils and room for 1,350. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 70 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Appledore Gardens, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, RH16 2AQ01444 414001oathall.orgMr Toby Houghton headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 14 September 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
231 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 231 | 234 | 213 | 200 | 190 | 161 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 51.6 | 50.6 | 51.3 | 51.8 | 46.4 | 49.1 | 46.6 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.28 | +0.26 | +0.25 | -0.08 | +0.10 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 58% | 50% | 59% | 53% | 41% | 52% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 75% | 73% | 75% | 72% | 60% | 68% | 68% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.81 | 4.67 | 4.83 | 4.80 | 4.35 | 4.54 | 4.10 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 63% | 53% | 58% | 58% | 54% | 57% | 38% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 35.9 | 28.5 | 31.9 | 33.0 | 28.7 | 34.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 54.8 | 53.2 | 54.7 | 54.7 | 49.8 | 51.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 30.2 | 25.3 | 27.1 | 18.5 | 28.9 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 70.4 | 69.5 | 71.3 | 62.1 | 63.2 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 22 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
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Social Studies (43% here, 54% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 229 | 23% | 64% | 80% | 53% | 709 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 227 | 29% | 66% | 82% | 54% | 644 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 222 | 27% | 68% | 82% | 58% | 738 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 177 | 12% | 51% | 74% | 36% | 531 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 136 | 27% | 58% | 77% | 51% | 932 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 96 | 21% | 73% | 83% | 58% | 738 of 2,818 |
| History | 95 | 41% | 70% | 75% | 52% | 505 of 3,126 |
| Business | 80 | 31% | 56% | 79% | 51% | 640 of 1,806 |
| Physical Education | 61 | 20% | 54% | 80% | 56% | 842 of 1,559 |
| French | 59 | 32% | 85% | 92% | 60% | 308 of 1,974 |
| Spanish | 51 | 31% | 61% | 75% | 54% | 767 of 1,941 |
| Biology | 46 | 72% | 94% | 98% | 82% | 871 of 2,570 |
| Social Studies | 44 | 21% | 43% | 61% | 54% | 728 of 1,043 |
| Chemistry | 44 | 64% | 96% | 100% | 81% | 779 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 44 | 64% | 96% | 100% | 82% | 754 of 2,546 |
| German | 41 | 22% | 61% | 73% | 63% | 319 of 571 |
| Computer Science | 20 | 25% | 45% | 55% | 56% | 1,204 of 1,861 |
| Engineering | 17 | 0% | 53% | 59% | 46% | – |
| Music | 15 | 60% | 80% | 80% | 61% | – |
| Religious Studies | 13 | 15% | 54% | 62% | 60% | – |
| Drama | 10 | 0% | 60% | 70% | 60% | – |
| Dance | 8 | 0% | 0% | 38% | 58% | – |
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.
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. None of the gaps 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
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.
About 121 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 16% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
The last child to get a place lived 1.2 miles away in 2026, 3.7 miles away in 2025, 3.0 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.2 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 270 | 330 | 270 | 1.2 miles | LA |
| 2025 Secondary | 270 | 303 | 270 | 3.7 miles | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 270 | 333 | 279 | 3.0 miles | LA |
| 2023 Secondary | 270 | 287 | 270 | 8.1 miles | LA |
The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.
What a home within 1.2 miles of the school costs
Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (97), Autistic spectrum disorder (74), emotional and mental health (58), Moderate learning difficulty (45), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (24), language and communications needs (22).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,341 | 1,303 | 1,246 | 1,185 | 1,112 | 1,067 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 15% | 14% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 10% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 8% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 19% | 18% | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.9% | 7.8% | 8.0% | 6.0% | 3.2% | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.6% | 5.4% | 6.1% | 4.7% | 2.5% | 4.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.0% | 1.4% | 0.7% | 1.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.5% | 20.1% | 21.1% | 15.8% | 6.1% | 11.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 14.4 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 9.1 | 7.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 213 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 84%, compared with 96% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 94% | 97% | 93% | 95% |
| Education | 90% | 94% | 89% | 91% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Work | 3% | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warden Park Secondary Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,541 | Report card 2026 | 77 | Compare |
| St Paul's Catholic College | Academy | 3.9 miles | 1,160 | Outstanding 2023 | 92 | Compare |
| The Burgess Hill Academy | Academy | 4.2 miles | 956 | Not inspected | 27 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Oathall Community College with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Oathall Community College, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanbridge House School | Council | 12.0 miles | 1,510 | Outstanding 2024 | 86 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 70 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 70% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 61 to 77. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.10 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 231 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.0 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.11 | DfE progress measure; 231 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 1,335 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 231 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.03 | 213 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Oathall Community College a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Oathall Community College scores 70 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 61 to 77, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Oathall Community College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Oathall Community College good at its last full inspection on 14 September 2023.
How good are Oathall Community College's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 58% 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 51.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Oathall Community College have?
1,341 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,350 places, so it is 99% full.
Is Oathall Community College oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?
Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.2 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.
What is attendance like at Oathall Community College?
Pupils were in school 92.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Oathall Community College?
The average class had 27.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 21% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Oathall Community College have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 94% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Appledore Gardens, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, RH16 2AQ
- Telephone
- 01444 414001
- Website
- www.oathall.org
- Headteacher
- Mr Toby Houghton
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- West Sussex
- Ward
- Haywards Heath Bentswood & Heath
- Constituency
- Mid Sussex
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 126085 · LAESTAB 9384102 · UKPRN 10016812
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: West Sussex council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.