Last reviewed: September 2026 · Rankings and key information above update regularly, however, this review below is refreshed bi-annually and may not reflect recent changes. If you spot anything outdated or inaccurate, please let us know.
One school, two sites, and a clean slate. Hailsham Academy opened on 1 September 2025 as a Fresh Start all-through school, joining MARK Education Trust the same month, and it now takes children from a Pre-School for two-year-olds through a purpose-built Primary Phase near Hellingly village to a Secondary Phase on Battle Road in Hailsham. The whole school has 1,657 children and young people on roll across all phases. The school has not yet been inspected by Ofsted since it opened.
Leadership is split by phase. Anna Robinson is Executive Headteacher and CEO of MARK Education Trust and also leads the Secondary Phase as its headteacher, while Tom Redman is Headteacher of the Primary Phase. The published results are modest, and the school is candid that it is rebuilding. What parents get is a free, non-selective, local school with a clear values framework, a specialist Autism Facility, a refurbished floodlit astro pitch, and a guaranteed Year 7 place for its own Year 6 pupils.
"Ambitious for excellence" is the school's motto, and it is shared across all three schools in MARK Education Trust. Day to day, the language that matters most is MARK. Academically, students are expected to be Motivated, Articulate, Resilient and Knowledgeable; socially, the same letters stand for Manners, Acceptance, Respect and Kindness. These are not wall posters. Primary pupils are recognised each week through a MARK Values Award and Workers of the Week in assembly, and secondary students earn Achievement Points that feed a tiered rewards programme.
The story of the school matters for anyone weighing it up. Before this school opened, the predecessor school (URN 138472) was judged Inadequate by Ofsted in March 2023. The school now describes a revised leadership and pastoral structure, a renewed focus on teaching and stronger curriculum implementation in the Secondary Phase since then, alongside the move into MARK Education Trust. The trust is small: it runs three schools in East Sussex, the others being Beacon Academy and Uplands Academy in Wadhurst.
Identity is still being refreshed. From September 2026, uniform changes came in across both phases as part of what the school calls a transition to a refreshed identity as Hailsham Academy. Blazers are no longer compulsory in the Secondary Phase; a Hailsham Academy jumper is now the required item, with one tie design for all of Years 7 to 11.
The two sites feel different by design. The Primary Phase, open since September 2019, sits in a purpose-built school about a mile from the Secondary Phase. It has its own floodlit all-weather pitch, a daily mile circuit, SEND therapy rooms, a technology room and a studio. The Pre-School is based in a purpose-designed room attached to the primary building, with its own toilet and changing facilities and a private outdoor garden. For families, that means younger children spend their early years on a newer, smaller campus before moving to the larger secondary site at 11.
Read these figures alongside the school's history. Hailsham Academy is new in its current form, and the school states that its published results relate to the period before it joined MARK Education Trust. They are a baseline for the new school rather than a verdict on it.
Primary (Key Stage 2). There are no Key Stage 2 results yet. The Primary Phase only opened in 2019, and the school had no pupils eligible to sit Key Stage 2 tests in 2025. The first Year 6 results will give parents their first real measure of the Primary Phase.
GCSE (Years 10 and 11). The most recent GCSE figures are weak. A cohort of 202 students recorded an average Attainment 8 score of 33.9 and a Progress 8 score of minus 0.83. Progress 8 is centred on zero, so minus 0.83 means students made considerably less progress between Year 6 and Year 11 than similar students elsewhere. The average EBacc point score was 2.79. There is no FindMySchool England ranking for GCSE results at this school, so standing has to be judged through those progress figures. The school's own 2025 provisional figures record 26% of students achieving grade 5 or above in both English and maths.
There are bright individual stories. The school's 2026 GCSE results announcement highlighted one student who achieved five grade 9s and a Distinction* at Level 2, and two others who each achieved two grade 9s. Those results show that the top end can be reached here, even if the cohort average is not yet where the school wants it.
A-level (Years 12 and 13). Post-16 outcomes are also below the England picture. In the most recent published results, 2.4% of A-level entries were graded A*, 10.7% achieved A* or A, and 32.1% achieved A* to B. The England averages for comparison are 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B. In FindMySchool's proprietary rankings, built from official data, Hailsham Academy stands 2,071st of 2,562 in England for A-level results (top 80.8%), ranked against all schools in England with published A-level results, state and independent. That places it below the England average. The school's own published 2024 figures give an average A-level grade of D+ and an A-level progress score of minus 0.7.
For parents of younger children, the key point is timing. The Primary Phase has no test history, and Year 7 students joining now will sit GCSEs under the new leadership. The next two or three sets of results will show whether the changes described since 2023 are translating into outcomes.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
32.14%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
Ranking figures update automatically as our data refreshes and are the definitive source. Any rankings quoted in the review text were accurate when it was written and may since have changed.
The school describes its curriculum as broad, balanced and knowledge-rich across both phases, and the practical detail supports that description at Key Stage 4. Every student in Years 10 and 11 takes GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature and GCSE Maths, plus GCSE Combined Science worth two GCSEs; those who opt for Triple Science receive separate grades in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. PSHE/RE and KS4 PE are compulsory.
Options are structured to keep doors open. In Year 9, students must choose either Geography or History from Block A, then three further subjects from Blocks B to D. Vocational courses such as BTECs and Technical Awards sit alongside GCSEs, and BTEC Sport became an option rather than a compulsory subject from September 2024. Students are encouraged to consider a language as well as a humanity to keep the English Baccalaureate route open. The school asks for two reserve choices because courses with low uptake may not run, which is worth knowing if your child has a niche interest.
The Secondary Phase day has five 55-minute lessons, preceded by 25 minutes of mentor time each morning. That daily mentor slot also carries careers education and work on the school rules and values. Maths Champion Hour and a Homework Support Club run as part of the after-school programme, and the school says after-school clubs and homework support run every day.
In the Primary Phase, reading sits at the centre of the curriculum, and the school says it is relentless about building fluent, confident readers. Strong links with the Secondary Phase give primary pupils access to shared expertise and specialist teaching. A World Book Day visit in March 2026 brought Sussex storyteller Helen Tozer to 120 Key Stage 2 pupils, an example of the kind of reading enrichment the phase organises.
End of Year 6. Progression inside the school is automatic. Current Year 6 pupils at Hailsham Academy Primary Phase do not need to apply for secondary school: a Year 7 place is allocated automatically because the school is all-through. For families who start in Reception, that removes one of the biggest pressure points of the English school system.
End of Year 11. Careers guidance is organised around the Gatsby Benchmarks and delivered through PSHE, assemblies, mentor time and enrichment, with one-to-one impartial guidance and Year 10 work experience (held from 6 to 10 July in 2026). The annual Hailsham Academy Careers Fair brought more than 30 local businesses, training providers and post-16 settings on site in March 2026, open to every student from Year 7 to Year 11. The careers pages point students to local routes including East Sussex College Group, Bexhill College and Plumpton College. The school's published figure shows 91% of its 2022 Year 11 leavers stayed in education or employment for at least two terms.
End of Year 13. Among the 81 students in the 2023 to 2024 leaving cohort from the sixth form, 22% went on to university, 4% to further education, 7% to apprenticeships and 46% into employment. Employment was the largest single destination for that cohort. Oxbridge success is rare but real: two students applied to Cambridge in the most recent recorded round, one received an offer and that student accepted. In August 2026, a Year 13 student secured a place at the University of Oxford to read Classics and English with Latin or Greek after achieving A*, A* and A.
Total Offers
1
Offer Success Rate: 50%
Cambridge
1
Offers
Oxford
—
Offers
This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Applications for Reception and Year 7 are made through East Sussex County Council, and the school considers places in line with its published oversubscription criteria, which parents should read in full before applying.
Reception. Demand at the Primary Phase is strong. For September 2025 entry, 149 applications were made for 59 offers, roughly 2.5 applications per place, and the school was oversubscribed. In the last cycle the closing date was 15 January 2026, with decisions sent by email on 16 April 2026. Expect similar timing for 2027 entry and confirm with East Sussex County Council. Primary open events for Reception 2027 are an Open Evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026 and Open Morning Tours from Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 November 2026.
Year 7. The Secondary Phase is not oversubscribed. For September 2025 entry, 186 applications were made and 193 offers were given, so offers outnumbered applications that year. Securing a place is therefore less of an obstacle here than at many schools. In the last cycle the closing date was 31 October 2025 and decisions were sent on 2 March 2026. For September 2027, the Secondary Phase Open Day runs on Saturday 3 October 2026 from 9:30am to 12:30pm with no booking needed, and Year 6 Open Morning Tours led by Student Ambassadors run from Monday 5 to Friday 9 October 2026, when places must be booked.
Pre-School. The Pre-School takes children aged 2 to 4 and accepts Early Years Education Entitlement funding for two-year-olds and for three- and four-year-olds. Families should contact the Primary Phase office for current session charges, which the school publishes, and check government childcare funding guidance.
In-year places. For Reception to Year 11, in-year applications go through an online enquiry form or East Sussex County Council. The headteacher considers them and the Admissions Committee reviews them, with a response within 15 school days. Unsuccessful families can join a waiting list and have the right of appeal.
Sixth form. This needs checking directly. MARK Education Trust describes Hailsham Academy as an all-through 2 to 19 school, and the school celebrated A-level and vocational results for its Year 13 cohort in August 2026. The school's own pages now describe it as serving Pre-School to Year 11, however, and the admissions page sets out no Year 12 entry route. Families planning post-16 study at the school should ask directly whether Year 12 places are being offered.
Previous Year (2024/25 Entry)
The pastoral structure is conventional and clear. Each year group has a Head of Year and an Assistant Head of Year responsible for care, behaviour and wellbeing, backed by mentor teachers, the SEND team, the Safeguarding Team and senior leaders. Every student sits in a mentor group that meets each morning before the first lesson, so there is one adult who sees each child daily.
Wellbeing support is layered. There is a drop-in service, support through referrals and an on-site counsellor available to all students. A Year 7 Worry Tree Group supports younger students who need extra help, and Peer Mentors are available in the Library at lunchtimes. In the first weeks of term, Year 9 Student Ambassadors in burgundy high-vis jackets guide Year 7 students between lessons.
Transition is planned in detail. Incoming Year 6 students spend two transition days at the Secondary Phase (30 June and 1 July in 2026), families attend a New Intake Welcome Evening in June, and Year 7 students have their own indoor and outdoor social areas. In the first few weeks, they also get an extra 10 minutes at the start of each break and lunch to reach the canteen while it is quiet. At Reception, a Teddy Bear's Picnic and home visits from teachers ease children in before a staggered start.
SEND. The school describes itself as inclusive. Its Autism Facility is led by Carole Gorman, and Carol Maxwell is Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for SEND as well as Designated Safeguarding Lead. Stephen Adam is SENDCo for the Primary Phase and Olivia Mockus for the Secondary Phase. Families of a child with an EHC plan apply through their Assessment and Planning Officer at East Sussex County Council; other children with special educational needs apply in the normal way.
Behaviour expectations are firm. Rewards run through Achievement Points reported to parents via Class Charts, with Bronze (250 points), Silver (500), Gold (1,000) and Platinum awards. Detentions are issued for lateness.
Performing arts. This is the strongest-evidenced pillar. The school runs Dance, Drama and Music clubs throughout the year and usually stages one main in-house Performing Arts production. It has taken part in Rock Challenge and Dance Live! on several occasions. Music includes instrumental learning and the Hailsham Academy Orchestra, alongside a Christmas Music Concert and Battle of the Bands, while a Songwriting and Singing Club gives less classically minded students a way in. Trips have included Glyndebourne for music, theatre visits to To Kill a Mockingbird and Blood Brothers, and Disneyland Paris for performing arts. For a creative child, that mix of in-house production and competitive dance events offers regular chances to perform.
Sport. The PE programme covers athletics, basketball, cricket, gymnastics, netball, rugby, football, trampoline, rounders, softball and sports leadership, plus a Trampoline and Boxing Club and badminton. Termly competitions give every student in Years 7 to 9 a chance to take part, and teams enter local, county, regional and national competitions. In March 2026, the Year 7 football team beat Seaford Head 3 to 1 to lift the South Downs Sports Partnership Cup, in front of around 100 supporters. Off-site sport has included golf lessons, climbing and sailing.
The facilities help. The Secondary Phase's all-weather pitch has been refurbished with a brand-new astro turf surface and new energy-efficient LED floodlighting, a project delivered in partnership with Wealden District Council, Hailsham Hockey Club and Hailsham Town Council. The Primary Phase has its own floodlit all-weather pitch and a daily mile circuit, so younger pupils have proper space to be active too.
Clubs and wider trips. The club list changes each term and includes a Textiles Club and a Warhammer Club, which gives quieter students a social anchor outside sport and performance. Wider trips have included New York, Wembley Stadium for Religious Studies and geography fieldwork. Students also join community events such as the Hailsham Christmas Lights event. The rewards programme adds trips to Thorpe Park, the cinema and bowling.
Primary enrichment. Younger pupils visit places such as Lewes Castle, Herstmonceux, Springham Farm and Hellingly Church. Year 6 spent three days at PGL Windmill Hill in July 2026, taking on abseiling, the zipwire, Jacob's Ladder, orienteering and archery. In-school opportunities have included a History workshop, Bikeability training and a Chartwells cookery workshop won through a Plate Waste project competition, alongside a Carol Concert and primary cluster sports events.
The Secondary Phase gates open from 8:30am, with mentor time at 8:45am and the day ending at 3:05pm; Breakfast Club students can enter by the top gates from 8:20am. Primary drop-off is between 8:30am and 8:40am, with pick-up from 3:10pm to 3:20pm. Pre-School sessions run in term time from 8:30am to 2:30pm, with an optional extra hour to 3:30pm. Families needing wraparound care in the Primary Phase should ask the office directly, as the school-day page lists session times only.
Secondary school buses are arranged by the East Sussex School Admissions and Transport Team, and students aged 11 to 19 can use the county's 3i-D Card for discounted bus travel. Parents may not drive onto either site at drop-off or collection without permission. Catering is run by Chartwells through the ParentPay cashless system, with a daily maximum spend of £7.50 in the Secondary Phase.
No inspection of its own yet. The school opened in September 2025 and has not been inspected since. Parents have no independent current judgement to rely on, so visits, questions to leaders and the first inspection report will matter more than usual.
Results set a low baseline. A Progress 8 score of minus 0.83 and an A-level position in the bottom fifth in England set a low baseline. Families should ask what has changed in teaching and how the school tracks progress in current year groups.
Sixth-form provision needs confirming. The school's current pages describe a Pre-School to Year 11 school, yet A-level results were celebrated in August 2026. If staying on to 18 at the same school matters, get a clear answer before relying on it.
Two sites a mile apart. The Primary Phase and Pre-School sit near Hellingly, while the Secondary Phase is in Hailsham. Families with children in both phases should plan for two drop-offs and should note there is no on-site parking at the busiest times.
Hailsham Academy is a school in the middle of a reset. The inherited results are poor and there is no inspection yet to show whether the changes are working. Against that, it offers a newer primary campus, a genuine through-route from age 2 to 16 with automatic Year 7 places for its own pupils, a specialist Autism Facility, well-developed transition and wellbeing support, and a performing arts and sports programme with real named substance.
It is best suited to local families in and around Hailsham and Hellingly who value an all-through route, strong pastoral structures and a comprehensive intake, and who are comfortable backing a school on its direction of travel rather than its track record. Families whose first priority is proven exam results, or who need certainty about sixth-form provision, should compare it carefully with other local options. The main caveat is simple: the evidence that the new school is improving outcomes has not yet arrived.
It is too early to give a firm answer. The school opened as a Fresh Start all-through school in September 2025 and has not yet been inspected. Its A-level results rank 2,071st of 2,562 in England, and its GCSE Progress 8 score was minus 0.83. Its strengths lie in clear values, a purpose-built primary site, an Autism Facility and detailed pastoral support.
Apply through East Sussex County Council. In the last cycle the Year 7 closing date was 31 October 2025 and the Reception closing date was 15 January 2026, so expect similar timing and check the council's current dates. Reception is oversubscribed, while Year 7 offers outnumbered applications for September 2025.
Yes. Year 6 pupils at the Primary Phase do not need to apply for secondary school, because the school allocates them a Year 7 place automatically as an all-through school.
They are weak at present. The most recent cohort of 202 students recorded an average Attainment 8 score of 33.9 and a Progress 8 score of minus 0.83, a clearly negative progress score. Some individuals did very well, including one 2026 student with five grade 9s.
This needs confirming with the school. Year 13 students received A-level and vocational results in August 2026, including one who won an Oxford place, but the school's current pages describe it as serving Pre-School to Year 11 and list no Year 12 entry route.
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