Felpham Community College Review 2026: Achievement, Care, Equity

Located just a mile from the seafront in Bognor Regis, Felpham Community College (FCC) serves a diverse catchment across West Sussex. This is a large, non-selective comprehensive that takes its middle name seriously; the school functions as a genuine hub for the local area, sharing its sports facilities and ethos with the wider town.

The campus has seen significant physical transformation in recent years. A multi-million pound investment replaced older temporary classrooms with the state-of-the-art Blake Building, which houses Music, Drama, and Computing. This modernisation reflects a school looking forward, balancing its role as a local provider with ambitions for facility-led improvement.

Ms Suzanne Pike has led the school since September 2023. Under her leadership, the school has maintained its Good rating from Ofsted, with inspectors in October 2024 confirming that the school continues to provide a supportive and structured environment. With over 1,500 students, including a growing Sixth Form, it is one of the larger schools in the county, yet it retains a distinct community feel through its core values of "Achievement, Care, and Equity".

The campus is a mix of the functional and the modern. The original 1970s architecture is now complemented by bright, purpose-built wings like the Blake Building and the dedicated Sixth Form Hub (opened in 2020). At drop-off, the atmosphere is lively but orderly; students move between the split-site blocks with a sense of purpose that inspectors noted as a key strength.

The school operates on a clear ethos of Achievement, Care, and Equity. This is not merely a slogan on the website but the framework for behaviour and relationships. The "Care" aspect is particularly visible in the pastoral structure, creating a climate where students feel safe and bullying is dealt with effectively.

Students are encouraged to take ownership of their community. The "Rights Respecting" approach underpins the culture, ensuring that students understand that with the right to learn comes the responsibility to respect others.

The school serves a broad mixed-ability intake, and results reflect this inclusive approach. In the 2024 GCSE cycle, the school ranked 3,056th in England for outcomes (FindMySchool ranking). This performance sits in the national lower band, placing it below the England average.

Specific metrics highlight areas of challenge and stability. The Progress 8 score of -0.47 indicates that, on average, students achieve nearly half a grade lower across their subjects than pupils with similar starting points nationally. However, the Attainment 8 score of 40 shows that many students are securing standard passes.

The school is transparent about its journey. While headline figures are below national averages, there are pockets of strong performance, particularly in vocational subjects where the facilities match the curriculum intent.

The curriculum at Felpham is designed to be broad rather than purely academic. The school maintains a strong commitment to the arts and technology, resisting the trend to narrow subject choices. The Blake Building provides specialist spaces for Design Technology and Music, allowing students to access industry-standard equipment.

Teaching quality is rated Good, with inspectors noting that teachers have secure subject knowledge. In the new science labs, practical work is a regular feature, supported by specialist technicians. A focus on "disciplinary literacy" ensures that students learn to speak and write like specialists—whether as scientists, historians, or geographers.

Support for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is integrated into the classroom. Teaching assistants work effectively to ensure the curriculum is accessible, and the school hosts a Special Support Centre for students with specific needs, integrating them into the life of the main school.

Pathways from Felpham are diverse, reflecting the comprehensive nature of the intake. In 2024, 44% of leavers progressed to university. The school celebrates a wide definition of success; while 34% of students moved directly into employment, significantly higher than the national average, others took up apprenticeships (2%) or further education (3%).

The Sixth Form is an academic and vocational hybrid. While not an exam factory, it supports high achievers effectively. In 2024, one student secured a place at Cambridge, demonstrating that the top end of the cohort can access elite institutions. The school received five Oxbridge applications in the same cycle, suggesting a growing aspiration among the most able.

For the majority, local universities such as Chichester, Portsmouth, and Brighton are popular destinations, alongside strong vocational routes into local industry.

Admissions are coordinated by West Sussex County Council. Felpham Community College is a popular choice for local families and is currently oversubscribed. In the most recent intake for Year 7, the school received 573 applications for 274 places, resulting in a subscription ratio of approximately 2.1 applications per place.

The school serves a catchment area defined primarily by geography. Priority is given to Looked After Children, followed by those with siblings already at the school, and then children living within the catchment area.

For families living in Felpham, Middleton-on-Sea, and Elmer, this is the natural local school. However, families applying from outside the immediate catchment should be aware that distance criteria are strictly applied in years of high demand. Applications typically close on 31 October for entry the following September.

The "Care" value is the engine of pastoral support. Each student belongs to a tutor group, providing a daily point of contact. The school employs non-teaching Pastoral Managers for each year group. These staff members are available throughout the school day to deal with immediate issues, meaning support is not limited to break times. This structure is particularly valued by parents, who find communication responsive.

Wellbeing is also supported by the layout of the school. Creating distinct zones for different year groups at break times helps younger students transition from primary school without feeling overwhelmed by the sheer size of the college.

Extracurricular life at Felpham is vibrant and surprisingly eclectic. It goes far beyond the standard sports offer. Students can join the Ethical Hacking club to learn cyber security skills, or the Confetti Club for creative design. The Special Effects Makeup club is a unique offering that takes advantage of the drama studios.

Sport remains central, however. The sports hall, gymnasium, and floodlit 3G artificial pitch are used extensively for clubs and fixtures. Teams compete in district and county competitions in football, netball, and rugby.

Music and Drama are central pillars. The annual school production is a major community event, involving over 100 students in cast, crew, and band roles. Recent productions have showcased a high standard of performance, filling the main hall for multiple nights.

The school day begins at 8:35am with registration or assembly. Lessons finish at 3:00pm, though the site remains busy well after this with clubs and fixtures.

Transport is straightforward for locals, with many students walking or cycling. Secure bike sheds are provided. For those further afield, local bus routes connect the school to Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, and surrounding villages.

Results context. The Progress 8 score of -0.47 places the school in the lower tier for value-added progress nationally. Families seeking a highly academic "hothouse" environment may find the pace here different from a grammar or selective school.

Size and scale. With over 1,500 students, this is a large institution. While the pastoral system breaks this down, quieter students will need to develop resilience and independence to navigate the busy corridors and large social groups.

Mixed ability teaching. As a true comprehensive, classes often contain a wide range of abilities. The school uses setting in core subjects, but families should ensure that the most able students are pushing themselves to access the extension tasks available.

Felpham Community College is a school that knows its community and serves it with dedication. It offers a safe, structured, and modernising environment where the values of "Achievement, Care, and Equity" are lived daily. While academic progress metrics suggest room for improvement, the school provides a solid, well-rounded education with excellent facilities. Best suited to local families who value a supportive, inclusive culture and want a school that prepares students for a wide range of futures, from university to employment. The main challenge is securing a place in this increasingly popular local hub.