Ofsted: Good trending_up Popular emoji_events #11 in East Sussex public Top 21% UK

Gildredge House

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Craig Bull

corporate_fareGILDREDGE HOUSE FREE SCHOOL

location_onEastbourne, BN20 8AB

language Visit Website phone 1323400650

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

1,226

trending_up

Attainment 8

46.7

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GCSE Rank

#10 in East Sussex

#1,418 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Gildredge House is a Free schools secondary school in Eastbourne, serving ages 4-16. Rated Good by Ofsted. Demand is above capacity (1.3×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

Gildredge House is a free schools in Eastbourne, East Sussex, admitting pupils aged 4-16. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of GILDREDGE HOUSE FREE SCHOOL. The school has approximately 1,168 pupils on roll, of whom 19% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 46.7, placing the school #10 in East Sussex and #1,418 of 3,216 nationally. 45.30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 15.3% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

In 2025, 60% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined, with 2% achieving the higher standard. The school ranks #71 of 22 primaries in East Sussex and #8,175 of 3,216 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Good. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.3× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 20.4:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 2.2 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

46.7

Grade 5+ E&M

45.30%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)15.3%

Entering EBacc25.70%

EBacc APS4.08

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.16

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc37.00%

EBacc APS4.32

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.21

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

47.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc26%

EBacc APS4.13

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.1

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

46.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc33%

EBacc APS4.12

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc36%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.07

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc73%

EBacc APS4.47

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.28

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

47.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc79%

EBacc APS4.6

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

96%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)3%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)92%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2023

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate94.10%

2022

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate89.5%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

60%

LA 58%

Reading87% LA 72%

Writing72% LA 69%

Maths73% LA 68%

Read SS

105

Maths SS

103

GPS SS

104

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

64%

LA 56%England 61%

Reading74% LA 71% · Eng 74%

Writing74% LA 69% · Eng 72%

Maths77% LA 68% · Eng 73%

Read SS

106

Maths SS

105

GPS SS

103

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

60%

LA 55%England 60%

Reading80% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Writing70% LA 68% · Eng 71%

Maths75% LA 66% · Eng 73%

Read SS

105

Maths SS

104

GPS SS

104

Progress (0 = national avg)

-2.2

Read

LA -0.9

-3.8 to -0.6

-3.8

Write

LA -1.5

-5.3 to -2.2

-2.4

Maths

LA -2.0

-4.0 to -0.9

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

LA 63%England 65%

Reading-% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Writing-% LA 78% · Eng 78%

Maths-% LA 74% · Eng 79%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

LA -0.4

Write

LA -0.7

Maths

LA -1.2

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

LA 65%

Reading-% LA 77%

Writing-% LA 79%

Maths-% LA 74%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

LA 0.5

Write

LA -0.3

Maths

LA -0.4

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

01 October 2024

Inspection Report

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27 November 2018

Inspection Report

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02 June 2015

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2024-10-01

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2018-11-27

S8 No Formal Designation Visit Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2015-06-02

None Legacy

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

2.7%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

2.2%(26 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,168 pupils. During this period, there were 31 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 2.7%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,168	31	2.7%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,160	20	1.7%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,181	21	1.8%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,182	20	1.7%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,177	11	0.9%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,216	27	2.2%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,226	45	3.7%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,229	60	4.9%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,227	52	4.2%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,233	39	3.2%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,242	37	3.0%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,230	34	2.8%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,228	15	1.2%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,233	21	1.7%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,203	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,203	6	0.5%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,208	12	1.0%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,097	14	1.3%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,099	37	3.4%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,103	15	1.4%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,017	12	1.2%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,025	15	1.5%	3.0%	1
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,021	21	2.1%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	847	25	3.0%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	848	12	1.4%	3.3%	1
2016/17 (Autumn term)	843	1	0.1%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 63 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 40 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 38 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 31 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 12 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 9 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

Physical Disability 2 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

90.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

96.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

16.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree43%

agree45%

disagree5%

strongly disagree3%

don't know4%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree48%

agree36%

disagree10%

strongly disagree3%

don't know3%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree35%

agree24%

disagree8%

strongly disagree7%

don't know3%

not applicable24%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes28%

no72%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree38%

agree33%

disagree11%

strongly disagree11%

dont know7%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree48%

agree38%

disagree8%

strongly disagree1%

don't know5%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree45%

agree42%

disagree6%

strongly disagree3%

don't know4%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree43%

agree43%

disagree11%

strongly disagree1%

don't know2%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree40%

agree49%

disagree5%

strongly disagree1%

don't know5%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree46%

agree44%

disagree7%

strongly disagree1%

don't know2%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree39%

agree37%

disagree9%

strongly disagree4%

don't know11%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes87%

no13%

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Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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Outstanding

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Primary Admission Trends

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in East Sussex

Claverham Community College

Heathfield Community College

Beacon Academy

Chailey School

Seaford Head School

King's Academy Ringmer