Steyning Grammar School

About Steyning Grammar School

Steyning Grammar School’s Progress 8 score of -0.02 sits just below the West Sussex local authority average of 0.03, a difference so small it places the school squarely in the middle of the pack nationally. In a county where nine out of 42 secondary schools are rated Outstanding, Steyning’s overall Ofsted rating of Requires Improvement from its 2023 inspection might give some parents pause. But the breakdown tells a more nuanced story: leadership and management, quality of education, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all judged Good. The sticking points were behaviour and attitudes, which also received a Requires Improvement rating. That’s a notable drop from the school’s previous Good rating in 2013, and it suggests that while academic structures are sound, the day-to-day culture needs attention. For a large Church of England school with nearly 2,000 pupils, this kind of inconsistency is worth probing on a visit.

Academically, Steyning delivers solidly average results. Its Attainment 8 score of 45.1 and EBacc average point score of 4.06 are in line with typical state secondary performance, and the basics measure shows 65.1% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The Progress 8 banding is officially Average, and the school ranks 22nd out of 42 secondaries in West Sussex. At A-level, the picture is similar: a value-added score of -0.1, with pupils averaging a C grade across their best three A-levels and 29.6 points per entry. The sixth form is rated Good by Ofsted, and 148 pupils took A-levels in the 2023/24 year. The EBacc entry rate of 54% is healthy, though only 15% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. For a school with a Church of England character, these results are respectable without being standout — a reliable, middle-ground option for most families.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 312 places in 2025/26, it received 409 applications, with 246 first-preference offers and an oversubscription ratio of 1.31. That suggests strong local demand despite the Ofsted rating. Facilities are comprehensive — science labs, art studios, a chapel, tennis courts, a sixth-form centre, and a library — and the sports programme is unusually broad, including rowing, martial arts, and gymnastics alongside the usual football and rugby. SEND provision covers a wide range of needs, from dyslexia and autism to hearing and visual impairments, which is reassuring for families with specific requirements. Steyning also offers boarding, making it one of the few state boarding schools in the South East. It’s a good fit for families who want a large, mixed, Church of England secondary with a strong sixth form and don’t mind that the school is still working through some behavioural challenges flagged by Ofsted.

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