Hailsham Academy

About Hailsham Academy

Hailsham Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2023, rated the school Inadequate overall, a significant downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2013. The inspection report highlighted serious concerns, with Behaviour and Attitudes also judged Inadequate, while Leadership and Management and Quality of Education were both rated Requires Improvement. The most telling academic metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.83, which places it well below average nationally and ranks it 19th out of 29 similar schools in East Sussex. This means that, on average, pupils at Hailsham Academy achieve nearly a grade less per subject across eight GCSEs than pupils with similar starting points nationally. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.16, so the school is performing significantly behind its peers in the area. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 33.9, and only 25.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths.

At Key Stage 5, the picture is similarly challenging. The school’s value-added score for A-levels is -0.7, again well below average, and the average points per entry is 23.61, equivalent to a D+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a D grade. Only 8.3% of entries achieved AAB or higher. The school’s Ebacc entry rate is very low at 5%, and the Ebacc average point score is 2.79, compared to a national average that typically sits around 4.0. These figures suggest that academic outcomes across both key stages are a significant concern for parents considering this school.

Despite the academic challenges, Hailsham Academy offers a broad range of facilities including a sixth form centre, art studios, an astro turf pitch, and a gymnasium. Sports provision includes rowing, gymnastics, and martial arts, while extracurricular clubs cover eco, young enterprise, drama, and science. The school has a substantial SEND department, with provisions for specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, and a resourced provision. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was not oversubscribed: it offered 193 places and received 186 total applications, with 145 first-preference offers made. This suggests that for families in the Wealden area who are unable to secure a place at higher-performing local schools such as St Richard’s Catholic College or Beacon Academy, Hailsham Academy remains an option, though the academic data should be weighed carefully against the school’s wider pastoral and extracurricular offer.

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