West Sussex schools in numbers
How West Sussex's 334 schools compare with South East and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools334open, all types
Pupils128,395on roll
Primary schools228
Secondary schools40
Who the pupils are
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 285 schools | 16.1% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 8thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 280 schools | 16.2% | 22.2% | 27.1% | 6thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 285 schools | 12.2% | 15.7% | 18.6% | 100thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 289 schools | 14.4% | 13.8% | 14.5% | 76thof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 289 schools | 13.1% | 12.9% | 11.6% | 47thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 262 schools | 26.2 | 25.8 | 25.0 | 123rdof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 262 schools | 13.1% | 12.7% | 10.6% | 121stof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 278 schools | 19.9 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 127thof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 266 schools | 13.1% | 15.3% | 15.0% | 31stof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 278 schools | £50,966 | £50,407 | £51,377 | 82ndof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 265 schools | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 72ndof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 268 schools | 93.9% | 93.7% | 93.8% | 58thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 268 schools | 15.0% | 15.7% | 15.8% | 45thof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 267 schools | 5.2 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 42ndof 151 |
Money
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 272 schools | £7,874 | £8,689 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 272 schools | £3,844 | £4,055 | £4,229 | 122ndof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 282 schools | 6.0% | 8.5% | 8.3% | 111thof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 282 schools | 15.6% | 11.7% | 14.1% | 88thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 38 schools | 46.1% | 48.6% | 46.1% | 62ndof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 38 schools | 46.6 | 47.9 | 47.0 | 67thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 191 schools | 59.1% | 63.1% | 63.1% | 132ndof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 191 schools | 6.1% | 8.7% | 8.3% | 125thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | West Sussex | South East | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 256 schools | 10% | 13% | 13% | 113thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 191 schools | 93% | 95% | 94% | 110thof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 252 schools | 27% | 33% | 35% | 109thof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 255 schools | 88.6% | 88.2% | 86.2% | 57thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 307 schools | 38% | 45% | 52% | 114thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 307 schools | 3.9% | 6.8% | 12.0% | 135thof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
West SussexEngland
Since 2016: -1.6%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
West SussexEngland
Since 2019: +6.6%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
West SussexEngland
Since 2017: +1.6%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
West SussexEngland
Since 2016: +14.6%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
West SussexEngland
Since 2007: +2.0