Felpham Community College
89%
Capacity
1,557
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About Felpham Community College
Felpham Community College is a large mixed secondary in West Sussex, serving the Arun area with 1,557 pupils across Years 7 to 13. It sits fifth out of six schools in the local authority rankings by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of state secondaries nationally. The top-performing peers in the same LA include St Oscar Romero Catholic School, St Philip Howard Catholic School and Shoreham Academy, all of which post stronger academic scores. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 274 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 573 applications, with 238 first-preference offers made. That level of demand suggests it remains a popular choice locally, despite its middling ranking. The most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in October 2024, confirmed that standards are being maintained at Good, a rating the school has held since its last graded inspection in January 2016. Before that, it was rated Requires Improvement in November 2013.
Academically, the school’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 year was -0.47, which is below average nationally and well below the West Sussex LA average of +0.03. The Attainment 8 score sits at 40, and just over half of pupils (53.6%) achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 34.3% at grade 5 or above. EBacc entry is low at 17.2%, and only 9.5% of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is similar: the value-added score is -0.67, classed as well below average, with an average points per entry of 24.61 (equivalent to a D+ grade). The best three A-levels average out at a C- grade. Ofsted rated the sixth form provision as Good in the most recent graded inspection, and leadership and management also came out as Good. Parent View responses from 154 families in the 2024/25 period show 79% would recommend the school, with strong agreement on happiness (82% agree or strongly agree their child is happy) and safety (80% feel their child is safe).
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include rowing, cricket, football and netball, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to Model UN, coding and eco club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities among others. However, Parent View data on SEND support is notably mixed: of the 14% of respondents with SEND children, only 52% agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives them the support they need, while 48% disagreed or strongly disagreed. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying will need to be aware of the competitive admissions process. It suits families who value a large, inclusive community with strong extracurricular breadth, but who are comfortable with academic outcomes that sit below both local and national averages.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Felpham Way, Bognor Regis, Arun, PO22 8EL |
| Headteacher | Suzanne Pike |
| Local Authority | West Sussex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,557 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,557 / 1,743 (89% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 Oct 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (23 Oct 2024): Standards maintained
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 8 Feb 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.47)
2569th of 3,141
Nationally
370th of 461
In South East
5th of 6
In Arun
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
37.9
'22/23
28.3
'23/24
24.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2342%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 226 pupils).
- FE college44%
- School sixth form (stay)42%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship2%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2340%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 86 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
15%
Russell Group
15%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)40%
- Employment33%
- Not sustained12%
- Further education7%
- Apprenticeship5%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Mathematics23
- Business Studies:Single12
- Computer Studies / Computing11
- History11
- Psychology11
- English Language10
- Geography10
- Media/Film/Tv Studies10
- Physics10
- Biology9
- Art and Design (Textiles)7
- English Literature7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
154 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed274
573
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
238 families put this school as their 1st choice (42% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: felpham.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British77.3%
- White (other)14.2%
- Mixed3.7%
- Asian1.7%
- Black0.1%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
5
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Felpham Community College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Felpham Way, Bognor Regis
Arun, PO22 8EL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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