Varndean SchoolPatcham High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Brighton.
Summary of the comparison
Varndean School and Patcham High School are secondary schools in Brighton.
Varndean School scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Patcham High School scores 55 out of 100 (grade C, average). Varndean School is ahead on our composite score.
Varndean School was judged Good and Patcham High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 54.7 for Varndean School and 46.7 for Patcham High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Varndean School (57.3 in 2021-22, 54.7 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Patcham High School (53.6 in 2021-22, 46.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | BrightonVarndean School | BrightonPatcham High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C67/100Stronger figure | C55/100 | |
| Local ranking | 3rd of 10 in Brighton and Hove Stronger figure | 7th of 10 in Brighton and Hove | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Community school | Community school | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,487 | 1,074 | |
| Capacity | 1,500 | 1,125 | |
| Location | Brighton, BN1 6NP | Brighton, BN1 8PB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 54.7 Stronger figure | 46.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 67.9% Stronger figure | 50.4% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 81.6% Stronger figure | 71.4% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 293 | 224 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,497 | 1,099 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 20.5% | 24.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 9.4% | 7.6% | |
| SEN support | 24.8% | 23.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.2% | 5.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.2% | 8.1% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.9% | 21.3% 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.
Varndean School
Patcham High School
Full profiles: Varndean School · Patcham High School