Downlands Community SchoolThe Burgess Hill Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Downlands Community School and The Burgess Hill Academy are secondary schools.
Downlands Community School scores 72 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and The Burgess Hill Academy scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Downlands Community School is ahead on our composite score.
Downlands Community School was judged strong and The Burgess Hill Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 58.3 for Downlands Community School and 45.7 for The Burgess Hill Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Downlands Community School (57.2 in 2021-22, 58.3 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The Burgess Hill Academy (48.4 in 2021-22, 45.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HassocksDownlands Community School | Burgess HillThe Burgess Hill Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B72/100Stronger figure | D53/100 | |
| Local ranking | 5th of 40 in West Sussex Stronger figure | 29th of 40 in West Sussex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Community school | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,250 | 956 | |
| Capacity | 1,200 | 1,200 | |
| Location | Hassocks, BN6 8LP | Burgess Hill, RH15 9EA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 58.3 Stronger figure | 45.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 68.9% Stronger figure | 47.1% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 84.9% Stronger figure | 67.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 238 | 227 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,250 | 1,018 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 8.3% | 16.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.0% | 7.6% | |
| SEN support | 20.6% | 11.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.0% | 1.2% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% Stronger figure | 10.0% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 19.1% Stronger figure | 22.2% | 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.
Downlands Community School
The Burgess Hill Academy
Full profiles: Downlands Community School · The Burgess Hill Academy