Beacon AcademyThe Cavendish School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Beacon Academy and The Cavendish School.
Beacon Academy scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The Cavendish School scores 72 out of 100 (grade B, strong). The Cavendish School is ahead on our composite score.
Beacon Academy was judged Outstanding and The Cavendish School was judged exceptional.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 50.2 for Beacon Academy and 47.3 for The Cavendish School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Beacon Academy (55.0 in 2021-22, 50.2 in 2024-25) and has fallen at The Cavendish School (52.6 in 2021-22, 47.3 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CrowboroughBeacon Academy | EastbourneThe Cavendish School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100 | B72/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 2nd of 24 in East Sussex | 1st of 24 in East Sussex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Outstanding | Ofsted: Outstanding | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 2-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,662 | 1,372 | |
| Capacity | 1,550 | 1,320 | |
| Location | Crowborough, TN6 2AS | Eastbourne, BN21 1UE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 50.2 Stronger figure | 47.3 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 61.1% Stronger figure | 52.9% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 80.6% Stronger figure | 71.8% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 27.8% | 43.5% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.43 Stronger figure | 4.17 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 252 | 170 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | Not reported | 82.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | Not reported | 10.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | Not reported | 108.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | Not reported | 109.0 | 105.0 |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 122 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 34.5 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 34.0 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 17.7% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,662 | 1,372 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 14.8% | 20.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 5.3% | 8.7% | |
| SEN support | 10.5% | 10.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.6% | 1.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.1% | 6.4% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.8% | 13.4% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Beacon Academy
The Cavendish School
Full profiles: Beacon Academy · The Cavendish School