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Varndean School

State school · Brighton, BN1 6NP
  • Secondary
  • Co-ed
  • Ages 11-16
  • 1,490 pupils

Overview & data

Pupil numbers
1,490 ·
Local authority
Brighton and Hove City Council

Headteacher

Head

Mrs Shelley Baker

Entrance

Entry and exit data - year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Downs Junior School 17 %
Balfour Primary School 17 %
Other 12 %
Where the number of students is less than 10, we cannot say where they've come from or where they are going to due to data protection rules.
St Luke's Primary School 10 %
Stanford Junior School 8 %
Hertford Junior School 8 %
Elm Grove Primary School 7 %
Queen's Park Primary School 6 %
Carlton Hill Primary School 4 %
Fairlight Primary School 4 %
St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School 2 %
Unknown 2 %
Where the school a student attended before or after this school is not known. These might be students who have come from or going to home schooling, independent schools, moving abroad etc.
St Martin's CofE Primary School 1 %
Westdene Primary School 1 %
Data highlight

Exit

We do not have destination information for pupils leaving this school. To find out where pupils go on to, you can contact the school.

Latest results

% of pupils achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
80%
LA avg.
70%
Eng. avg.
60%
Data highlight

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

Teaching & learning

Qualifications taken in 2024
  • BTEC
  • GCSE
85
Number of teachers
18:1
Pupil to teacher ratio

Learning support & SEN

5 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
22.6 %
Students with SEN support

Pupils

1,490
Number of pupils

Inspection reports

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Full inspection: Good

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Personal development Good
Quality of education Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding
Leadership and management Outstanding

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good

This school has not provided any information yet

If you are from this school, please, get in touch to feature images and useful information for parents.

Contact the school

Address

Balfour Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 6NP
Get directions

Telephone: 01273 561281

Email: admin@varndean.co.uk

Website: http://www.varndean.co.uk

Local authority: Brighton and Hove City Council

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School data & information Varndean School Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP
1,490 Pupil numbers
21 % % of pupils eligible for free school meals
10 % Pupils whose first language is not English
18:1 Pupil to teacher ratio
85 Number of teachers
14 Number of teaching assistants

% achieving grade 5 or above (A* to C) in English and maths GCSE (2024)

School
80%
LA avg.
70%
Eng. avg.
60%

What is this?

This tells you the percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.

Average overall GCSE score (attainment 8) (2024)

School
53.50
LA avg.
48.00
Eng. avg.
44.20

What is this?

Schools get a score based on how well pupils have performed in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Improvement rates in core subjects (progress 8) (2024)

0.43 Score Above average
≈ 16% of schools in England

What is a progress score?

This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications.

Subjects entered at GCSE level (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Statistics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 44 8
Spanish GCSE (9-1) Full Course 80 5
Sociology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 82 5
Physics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 94 7
Physical Education/Sports Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 17 7
Music GCSE (9-1) Full Course 28 7
Media/Film/Tv Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 25 6
Mathematics GCSE (9-1) Full Course 292 6
History GCSE (9-1) Full Course 115 5
German GCSE (9-1) Full Course 49 6
Geography GCSE (9-1) Full Course 157 6
French GCSE (9-1) Full Course 54 6
Film Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 24 6
English Literature GCSE (9-1) Full Course 288 6
English Language GCSE (9-1) Full Course 290 6
Drama & Theatre Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 65 6
Design & Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 42 6
Dance GCSE (9-1) Full Course 29 6
D&T Food Technology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 36 5
Computer Studies/Computing GCSE (9-1) Full Course 27 6
Chemistry GCSE (9-1) Full Course 96 7
Biology GCSE (9-1) Full Course 95 7
Art & Design GCSE (9-1) Full Course 77 6

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Year 7 entry (average 2020-2022)

Year 11 exit (average 2020-2022)

SEN overview

Varndean School is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

5 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 2.7%
22.6 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 12.9%

SEN conditons supported

No information available from the school. Find out more.

Ofsted reports

From September 2024, Ofsted no longer makes an overall effectiveness judgement in inspections of state-funded schools.

Full inspection: Good

You can read full reports on the Ofsted website

Personal development Good
Quality of education Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding
Leadership and management Outstanding

Full inspection: Good

Leadership and management Good
Our data explained
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