The Eastbourne AcademyThe Cavendish School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Eastbourne.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares The Eastbourne Academy and The Cavendish School in Eastbourne.
The Eastbourne Academy scores 28 out of 100 (grade F, weak) and The Cavendish School scores 73 out of 100 (grade B, strong). The Cavendish School is ahead on our composite score.
The Eastbourne Academy was judged in need of urgent improvement and The Cavendish School was judged exceptional.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 37.1 for The Eastbourne Academy and 48.2 for The Cavendish School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Eastbourne Academy (40.1 in 2021-22, 37.1 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The Cavendish School (52.6 in 2021-22, 48.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | EastbourneThe Eastbourne Academy | EastbourneThe Cavendish School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | F28/100 | B73/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 22nd of 24 in East Sussex | 1st of 24 in East Sussex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Inadequate | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 2-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 776 | 1,399 | |
| Capacity | 900 | 1,320 | |
| Location | Eastbourne, BN22 9RQ | Eastbourne, BN21 1UE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 37.1 | 48.2 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 25.5% | 51.1% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 49.7% | 67.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 165 | 174 | |
| 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 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 800 | 1,372 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 47.3% | 20.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 11.5% | 8.7% | |
| SEN support | 14.9% | 10.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.4% | 1.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.9% | 6.4% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 29.2% | 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.
The Eastbourne Academy
The Cavendish School
Full profiles: The Eastbourne Academy · The Cavendish School