The Eastbourne Academy Review 2026, a secondary school in Hampden Park with improvement priorities clearly defined

This is a state secondary academy for students aged 11 to 16 in Hampden Park, Eastbourne. It sits within The Swale Academies Trust and has an improvement narrative that is now sharply framed by recent inspection activity and follow up monitoring.

On outcomes, the most recent GCSE dataset shows a challenging picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 29.1 and Progress 8 is -0.88, which indicates pupils, on average, made substantially less progress than pupils nationally with similar starting points.

Families will find clear practical information published, including a structured day that expects students to be ready for learning at 8:30am and runs to 3:00pm, alongside extra curricular activity slots before and after school.

The published leadership structure matters here. The executive headteacher is Liza Leung, with co-heads of school also referenced on the school’s website, signalling a model designed to stabilise delivery and tighten consistency.

The latest Ofsted inspection (28 and 29 January 2025) graded Quality of Education as Inadequate, Behaviour and Attitudes as Inadequate, Personal Development as Requires Improvement, and Leadership and Management as Inadequate.

A follow up Ofsted monitoring inspection on 10 September 2025 reported that leaders have made progress, but that more work is needed for the school to no longer be judged as having serious weaknesses.

That follow up letter gives useful texture about day to day feel. It describes lessons that are now typically calm with minimal low level disruption, corridors that are more orderly, and a stronger sense of safety for more pupils, while also flagging passive learning behaviours in a high proportion of lessons, ongoing concerns about prejudicial language, and punctuality that remains poor for too many pupils.

Pastoral support is an identified strength alongside this improvement work. Earlier inspection evidence points to a well developed pastoral offer and students being able to seek help when they have concerns, even while behaviour and bullying concerns were not yet addressed effectively at that time.

Ranked 3,765th in England and 8th in Eastbourne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this sits below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

The headline attainment indicators from the dataset are clear:

• Attainment 8: 29.1

• Progress 8: -0.88

• EBacc average point score: 2.38

• Percentage achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects: 3.2%

For parents, Progress 8 is often the most helpful single number because it adjusts for starting points. A score of -0.88 indicates that, across the cohort, pupils’ outcomes were substantially below those achieved by similar pupils nationally, which aligns with inspection concerns about inconsistent curriculum delivery and disrupted learning over time.

EBacc entry and success are also an important signal. The dataset suggests very low success at grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects and a lower EBacc point score than the England average figure published which may reflect a combination of entry patterns and attainment challenges.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE performance side by side using the Comparison Tool, especially useful when weighing schools with different improvement trajectories.

The improvement plan described in the September 2025 monitoring letter is rooted in sequencing, classroom routine, and teacher development. The curriculum is described as sufficiently well sequenced in most subjects, with a “house style” handbook introduced to build a consistent approach to lesson construction and effective learning, while variability in implementation remains a core issue.

This is the key implication for families. Where teaching is consistent, pupils are more likely to build knowledge over time and behaviour tends to settle; where variability persists, pupils can experience uneven expectations and weaker checking for understanding, which limits progress. The monitoring letter is explicit that not all teachers check whether pupils know and remember new knowledge effectively, and that lesson activity can become overly teacher led, limiting practice and application.

Reading is positioned as a priority both in the inspection report and in the more recent monitoring letter. The school uses systematic checking of reading stage and targeted intervention, and the English department describes tools and structures designed to support reading for pleasure and independent study, including a Study Club used by Key Stage 3 students.

Students with special educational needs and disabilities are specifically referenced in both inspection and school website materials. The inspection report describes needs being understood and support structures in place, while also being clear that pupils with SEND did not achieve as well as they should because of broader weaknesses in the quality of education.

The school educates students to Year 11, so families should plan early for post 16 routes. That typically means sixth form in another school, a sixth form college, or further education pathways, depending on grades, preferred subjects, and the student’s readiness for a larger setting.

Published destination statistics are not available in the provided outcomes dataset for this school, and there is no sixth form destination block to draw on. The practical implication is that parents should prioritise careers guidance, subject planning for GCSE options, and a realistic shortlist of post 16 providers well before Year 11.

Admissions are coordinated through East Sussex County Council for Year 7 entry. The school’s own admissions page publishes the key dates for September 2026 entry, including applications opening on 12 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025, with offers issued on 2 March 2026.

East Sussex’s published table for secondary admissions shows a Year 7 published admission number of 180 places for September 2026. For the 2025 cycle, it lists 193 preferences and 177 offers, which indicates demand slightly above places and supports the school’s statement that it is oversubscribed, even if not at the intense levels seen at some local schools.

Appeals information is unusually clear on the school website. It sets out a deadline for submitting appeals of Friday 27 March 2026, with appeals heard throughout May 2026.

If you are shortlisting based on travel time rather than strict catchment boundaries, the FindMySchool Map Search tool is a practical way to sense check daily journeys and compare realistic routes across nearby options.

Pastoral structures are presented as a core part of the school’s work. Earlier inspection evidence describes a well developed pastoral support offer, while also highlighting that behaviour issues, bullying concerns, and pupils’ sense of psychological safety were not consistently addressed at that time.

The September 2025 monitoring letter suggests movement in the right direction. It links improved attendance focus to better attitudes, with more pupils feeling safe, and it describes the school’s response to bullying as strengthened through improved communication so that families understand the approach to allegations.

The same letter also points to the next set of wellbeing priorities. Prejudicial language and unkind comments are still reported by some pupils, and punctuality and persistent absence remain issues, particularly for pupils with SEND. For families, the implication is to ask focused questions at transition about behaviour expectations, supervision at unstructured times, and the practical systems used to improve punctuality and attendance.

The school publishes a broad enrichment framework and, importantly, includes named activities that make it easier for parents to understand what participation can look like. The clubs and activities page references, among other examples, Pride Club and performing arts productions as settings where teamwork and collaboration are developed.

Subject and programme pages add specific options. English references a Poetry By Heart club and a Study Club used by Key Stage 3 students, which is a practical route for students who benefit from quiet study structure beyond lessons.

Performing Arts is particularly detailed, listing Dance Live, Musical Theatre club, Christmas Show, Summer Show, and ongoing music and dance clubs across the week. It also describes a Dance Scholar programme linked to a Dance Leadership award, alongside a Music Scholar programme aimed at building instrumental and musical literacy for students considering BTEC Music routes.

Student leadership opportunities are also explicit, including Sports Captains, librarians supporting the library at breaks and after school, Duke of Edinburgh, Dance Scholars, and Sports and Football Scholars working towards leadership qualifications.

The published day expects students to be in school and ready for their first lesson at 8:30am, with the site opening at 8:25am. The timetable runs through to a 3:00pm finish, supported by a five period day and a mentor time block at the start of the day.

As a state school, there are no tuition fees. Families should still budget for standard secondary costs such as uniform, trips, and optional activities, and note that some clubs may involve additional charges where externally run.

For transport planning, the school is in Hampden Park, and the local rail station serving the area is Hampden Park (Sussex). A community sports centre on the same site as the school notes it is within walking distance to the train station and offers on site parking, which is useful context for drop off, pick up, and after school activities.

• Improvement journey under scrutiny. The most recent graded inspection and subsequent monitoring make clear that significant improvement work is still required, even with signs of progress in behaviour, attendance, and leadership capacity.

• Inconsistency remains the central classroom risk. The monitoring letter flags variability in implementation and passive learning behaviours across many lessons, which can affect students differently depending on their confidence and independence.

• Behaviour and culture are improving, but not resolved. Some pupils still report prejudicial language and unkind comments not always being challenged, and this is worth probing during transition events and early weeks.

• No sixth form on site. Families will need a clear post 16 plan, particularly for students who benefit from continuity and routine.

This is a local 11 to 16 academy with published structures and a clear enrichment offer, but also a recently evidenced need for rapid, sustained improvement in teaching consistency and school culture. It best suits families who want a mainstream secondary option in Hampden Park, value the school’s emphasis on reading, personal development, and structured routines, and are prepared to track progress closely through the current improvement phase.