Peacehaven Community School Review 2026: Community-focused 11–16 academy with improving progress

A secondary school created to serve its town, Peacehaven Community School opened in September 2001 after sustained local demand for an 11–16 option in the area. Today it sits within Swale Academies Trust and runs as a non-selective, mixed comprehensive with a published Year 7 admission number of 180 for September 2026.

The school’s culture is framed by its values, Aspire, Believe, Contribute, Achieve, which are used as practical reference points rather than decorative slogans. Leadership is stable, with Rachel Henocq as headteacher and documented as in post from September 2021.

For families weighing up local secondaries, the most important headline is this: outcomes are not in the top tier nationally, but progress is positive, and the school has a clear trajectory of improvement supported by trust capacity and a strong emphasis on inclusion.

The tone here is best described as orderly and inclusive, with an explicit expectation that pupils with additional needs participate in the same learning and enrichment offer as their peers. This is not a marginal feature. External review evidence describes pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including those in the school’s specialist provision, as fully immersed in day-to-day school life.

A notable structural feature is the specially resourced provision for pupils with autism and for those with speech, language and communication needs. It is not an add-on, it is part of how the school thinks about mainstream inclusion, including adapted curriculum pathways that still keep pupils close to the core learning experience.

In September 2023, the school launched a house system, with names and colours chosen through student voting and a whole-school logo competition. In practical terms, this gives pupils another identity layer beyond tutor group and year group, and it creates a straightforward framework for participation, recognition, and community-facing activity.

Behaviour expectations are set high and, on the available evidence, are usually met. The school is described as calm and orderly, with respectful conduct as the norm; bullying is reported as occasional rather than systemic, and pupils are described as confident that staff respond quickly when issues are raised.

Leadership stability matters in schools at this stage of improvement. Rachel Henocq is listed as headteacher on the school’s leadership pages, with governance documentation indicating a start date of 01 September 2021. That timing aligns with the picture of a school that has moved from improvement planning into sustained implementation, where consistency across subjects becomes the key challenge.

Peacehaven Community School’s GCSE performance sits below England average on the FindMySchool outcomes ranking. It is ranked 2,911th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), placing it below England average, within the lower 40% of schools in England. Locally, it ranks 1st in the Peacehaven area on the same measure.

That headline needs balancing with progress. The school’s Progress 8 score is +0.21, which indicates that, on average, students make above-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects.

Attainment 8 is 40.1, giving a useful snapshot of overall GCSE points accumulation across a broad set of subjects. EBacc indicators show a developing area: the average EBacc APS is 3.45 and 10.1% of pupils achieve grades 5 or above across the EBacc suite. The most recent external review evidence also notes historically low EBacc uptake, with a stated plan to increase participation.

The practical implication for families is that the school looks better through a progress lens than a pure attainment ranking. For many children, especially those who benefit from clear structure, strong routines, and well-planned support, that is meaningful. For the most academically driven cohort aiming for a heavy EBacc pathway, it is sensible to scrutinise option choices carefully at Key Stage 4 and ask direct questions about subject access and stretch provision.

Parents comparing local outcomes can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view these measures side-by-side, including progress and attainment, rather than relying on a single headline.

Curriculum design is described as ambitious and well sequenced across subjects, with a clear emphasis on building knowledge systematically over time, including planned revisiting of prior learning so pupils retain what they have been taught. The most useful message for parents is that the intent is coherent, and in many subjects the execution is strong, but the school itself is not yet fully consistent across the whole timetable.

A particular strength noted in external review evidence is subject expertise, with English and physical education highlighted as especially strong due to expert teaching. Where this becomes real for students is in lesson clarity and practice design. When teachers explain new ideas clearly and set tasks that are well matched to the learning goal, students are more likely to stay focused, complete work to a high standard, and build confidence without constant behavioural correction.

Literacy is treated as a gateway rather than an isolated policy. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often, and additional support is in place for those who find reading difficult, with the intended outcome that more pupils become confident readers over time.

At Key Stage 4, the key development point is subject consistency and ambition. External review evidence is explicit that leaders should ensure pupils are able to access ambitious and appropriate courses, particularly where uneven subject strength could otherwise narrow next-step options. For families, this is an important line of questioning at Year 9 options, especially for children with clear post-16 plans.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form, transition planning at 16 is central. Careers education is described as a strength, including work experience, employer links, and timely advice designed to prepare pupils for post-16 pathways and longer-term employment or training routes.

The school meets provider access requirements, meaning pupils should have structured exposure to technical education and apprenticeship routes, not only traditional A-level narratives. This matters in practical terms because it broadens the definition of success, particularly for students who are motivated by applied learning or who thrive in vocational settings.

The school’s own communications around GCSE outcomes also give a sense of common next steps, including students progressing to A-level study at local sixth-form providers. Families should ask directly about the school’s established links with local colleges, how application support works, and what guidance is offered for competitive routes such as engineering apprenticeships or health-related courses.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through East Sussex County Council, not handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 12 September 2025 and the closing date is 31 October 2025, with national offer day on 02 March 2026.

Demand is real. East Sussex’s published table for 2026 entry lists Peacehaven Community School with a Year 7 published admission number of 180, and shows 387 preferences for 180 offers in the 2025 allocation cycle. While preference counts are not identical to eligible applications, they are a useful indicator that the school is frequently oversubscribed.

The school has also consulted on, and determined, admissions changes for September 2026. Two aspects are especially relevant for families. First, sibling priority is structured so that children living within the community area receive higher priority than siblings living outside it. Second, the distance tie-break is moving from shortest walking route to straight-line measurement, aligned with local authority practice.

Because distance allocations can shift annually, families should avoid assuming that last year’s pattern will repeat. Where proximity is a deciding factor, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise distance and to keep your shortlist realistic alongside other local options.

Pastoral care is described as purposeful rather than performative. Staff are presented as having high expectations for behaviour and conduct, which is linked to calm classrooms and fewer lesson disruptions. That combination tends to matter most for pupils who want predictability and for families who prioritise learning time.

The school’s approach to personal development includes relationships education, risk management, and support for mental and physical health. The key point for parents is that this is described as a planned programme, not a sporadic assembly schedule, and pupils with additional needs and disadvantaged pupils are described as benefiting significantly from it.

Ofsted also stated that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Peacehaven’s enrichment offer is broad enough to appeal to different types of learner, and specific enough to feel intentional. The school lists a Creative Writing Club and a Poetry by Heart group for pupils drawn to performance and language craft, alongside an Art Club that focuses on technique and making rather than only display outcomes. The implication is that creative pupils can build identity and confidence through regular practice, not just end-of-year showcases.

There is also a clear strand for structured academic support. Year 11 Geography Intervention and Supporting Geography clubs sit alongside targeted coursework support in design technology and vocational physical education, plus Music BTech support. For families, this points to a school that recognises revision and catch-up as part of the weekly routine, not a crisis response in the final term.

For pupils who want social belonging through shared interests, the range includes a PCS LGBT+ Society and a Culture Club, plus subject-linked enrichment such as French and Spanish Club. More niche activities also appear in school materials, including Dungeons and Dragons, Crochet, Mosaic making, and a “PCS Has Talent” style showcase, which often matter disproportionately to quieter pupils who do not define themselves through sport.

Sport remains a major pillar, with after-school clubs typically running between 3.00pm and 4.15pm on school days and a mixture of team sport and fitness-oriented activity. The Duke of Edinburgh pathway is also referenced as part of the wider personal development offer, including life skills such as an essential cooking course.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The published school day runs from 08:30 to 15:10, with an arrival window from 08:25 and a final Personal Development Intervention slot from 14:40 to 15:10. A breakfast club is referenced in external review evidence, and after-school activities operate beyond the end of the formal day.

The school sits within Peacehaven’s local community, and most families will weigh walking and local transport practicality alongside admissions criteria. For families considering Year 7 entry, visits typically start from September each year; East Sussex specifically recommends arranging visits from September 2025 for September 2026 entry.

• Outcomes ranking vs progress: The school’s FindMySchool GCSE ranking sits in the lower 40% nationally, even while Progress 8 is positive. This can suit pupils who benefit from a structured improvement approach; families seeking consistently high attainment outcomes should probe subject-by-subject strength and stretch at Key Stage 4.

• EBacc pathway is developing: External review evidence highlights historically low EBacc uptake with plans to increase it. Families who value an EBacc-heavy GCSE profile should ask how options are structured, who is encouraged to take the full suite, and how subject access is protected.

• Admissions details changed for September 2026: Sibling priority and distance measurement are being adjusted from September 2026, including a shift to straight-line distance. Families should read the determined admissions arrangements carefully, especially if they sit near the edge of the community area.

• No sixth form: Transition at 16 is unavoidable. The careers programme is described as strong, but families should still ask how applications to colleges and training providers are supported, and what happens for students who need extra guidance to find the right route.

Peacehaven Community School is a community-serving comprehensive that combines calm routines, an inclusive approach to additional needs, and a clear focus on improvement. Its best evidence is in progress and in the consistency of pastoral and enrichment structures, rather than in top-tier national attainment rankings. It suits families who want a mainstream 11–16 school with improving outcomes, clear behaviour expectations, and a broad extracurricular menu that includes both creative and niche clubs, not only sport. The main practical hurdle is competitive admissions at Year 7 and, later, planning the post-16 move.