Downlands Community School
Secondary · Community school · Ages 11–16 · Hassocks, West Sussex
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
8.22 miles
Published by West Sussex County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
2023–2025 trend 🔒
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Downlands Community School is a secondary school in Hassocks, West Sussex for ages 11–16 (community school). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Good, from the inspection on 4 October 2022. West Sussex has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2023 to 2026 entry.
Downlands Community School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | 8.22 mi |
| Year 7 2025 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2024 | 🔒 With a pass |
| Year 7 2023 | 🔒 With a pass |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- In Year 7 2026 admissions, the last child offered a place lived 8.22 miles away, the 2nd longest of 23 West Sussex secondary schools with a published last distance.
- The 2026 Year 7 last distance was further than in 2025 and 2023, and the 2026 figure was the longest of the 4 years.
- In Year 7 2026 there were 257 first-choice applications for 241 offers; 28 first-choice families were not offered a place, and 229 offers went to first-choice families.
- In 2024/25, 66% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), and the Attainment 8 score was 57.3 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other West Sussex schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Dale Avenue, Hassocks, BN6 8LP
- Type
- Community school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- West Sussex
- Pupils on roll
- 1,250 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 8.2% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 17.2
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Good Inspected 4 October 2022
Strengths
- “Pupils are very happy and love attending Downlands Community School.”
- “They value the inclusive culture and feel a strong sense of belonging within the community.”
- “Pupils benefit from leaders' passion to support every pupil to become successful academically and personally.”
To improve
- “However, these systems are not yet fully embedded and this means that a small number of pupils, including some who are disadvantaged do not yet attend on a regular enough basis.”
- “Leaders have identified the need to further strengthen these systems to support the most vulnerable pupils.”
Safeguarding: met
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 9 September 2026 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 66% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 57.3 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 257 first-preference applications, 241 offers in total, 229 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in West Sussex.
- The Burgess Hill Academy 2.1 mi Some aspects not as strong Last distance published
- St Paul's Catholic College 3.2 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Warden Park Secondary Academy 5.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Oathall Community College 6.2 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Shoreham Academy 7.5 mi Outstanding Last distance published
- Steyning Grammar School 8.5 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- The Sir Robert Woodard Academy 10.2 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- Davison Church of England High School for Girls, Worthing 11.8 mi Outstanding Last distance published