The Academy, Selsey
84%
Capacity
501
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About The Academy, Selsey
The Academy, Selsey sits below the West Sussex average for Progress 8, scoring -0.25 against the local authority average of 0.03. This places it 30th out of 42 secondary schools in the county, and 5th out of 6 schools in the Chichester area. The school's attainment 8 score of 40.2 is modest, and just 25.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. The EBacc entry rate is low at 6.7%, and only 1.9% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. These headline figures suggest the school serves a cohort with significant challenges — 26.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. The school's Progress 8 banding is officially rated as 'Average', and the confidence interval for its overall score ranges from -0.53 to 0.03, meaning the true figure could be closer to the LA norm.
Ofsted inspected the school in January 2025 and rated it Good across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2019. Parent feedback is strong — 93% of respondents would recommend the school, and 87% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. On academic expectations, 90% agreed the school has high expectations for their child, and 90% felt their child does well. The school's Progress 8 breakdown shows negative scores across all subject groups, with English at -0.3, maths at -0.23, and EBacc subjects at -0.38, though the open element (non-EBacc) is closer to average at -0.11.
The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 157 applications for 117 places and 111 first-preference offers made from 122 first-preference applications. It offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, music rooms, science labs, and an ICT suite. Sports provision covers tennis, swimming, football, rugby, and hockey, while clubs include debate, Model UN, orchestra, coding, and Young Enterprise. SEND support is comprehensive, covering autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social and emotional mental health. The school has no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16. This is a school that parents report feeling positive about, particularly around happiness, safety, and personal development, but academic outcomes are below the LA average and the school is best suited to families who value a supportive environment over top-tier exam results.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | School Lane, Chichester, Chichester, PO20 9EH |
| Headteacher | Jo Ford |
| Local Authority | West Sussex |
| Number of Pupils | 501 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 26.1% |
| School Capacity | 501 / 600 (84% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Jan 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 11 Mar 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.25)
2123rd of 3,141
Nationally
318th of 461
In South East
5th of 6
In Chichester
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/236%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 78 pupils).
- FE college68%
- Not sustained12%
- School sixth form (stay)6%
- Employment6%
- Apprenticeship5%
86% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
82 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
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed117
157
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
122 families put this school as their 1st choice (78% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:00
Source: tas-tkat.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British87.6%
- White (other)4.8%
- Mixed3.2%
- Asian1.8%
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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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 The Academy, Selsey
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
School Lane, Chichester
Chichester, PO20 9EH
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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