Blatchington Mill School
Hove, BN3 7BW · Brighton and Hove · secondary school
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4th of 10 secondary schools in Brighton and Hove we can score. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 8.4/10 against 910 of them, against 7.6/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 34% | 1.77 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 57.4 · 78 | 31% | 2.38 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.3 · 73 | 26% | 1.85 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 52.5 · 79 | 10% | 0.81 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Blatchington Mill School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 61.9% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 51.0, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.3 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (8.5 out of 10 against similar schools, 7.8 out of 10 against all schools). Ofsted rated the school Good in May 2022.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils join the Duke of Edinburgh, Galactic Challenge, Poetry Live, City Careers Fair, and Stomp clubs. Sports include cricket, football, and skiing. Arts activities feature theatre trips and Tate Modern visits. Trips go to St Omer, France, Cantabria, Spain, Fishbourne Palace, and the BBC Good Food Show. An after-school club is available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,622 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,650. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to maintain the progress seen in the 2023/24 data? What specific support is available for students aiming for higher grades in English and maths?
What Ofsted said about Blatchington Mill School
Overview
Blatchington Mill School continues to be a good school, where pupils are proud members of the ‘Blatch family’ and feel safe. Leaders share an aspiring vision for a high-quality education, supported by strong shared values and a positive environment where bullying is not tolerated.
Strengths
- Pupils are polite, friendly, and enjoy lessons, particularly in religious education and personal, social and health education which develop an appreciation of equality and diversity.
- The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with leaders having thought carefully about the knowledge pupils should learn and the order in which it is taught.
- Teachers possess strong subject knowledge and use confident exposition, while literacy and subject-specific vocabulary are well supported across all years.
- Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified and supported through joint planning and shared criteria.
- Behaviour is well managed with little inappropriate behaviour observed, and attendance rates are improving with exclusions reducing.
Areas to improve
- The quality of education is not yet securely and consistently embedded across all subjects; further work is needed to ensure curriculum implementation is secure.
- Cross-curricular links are identified but not yet fully exploited to deepen and consolidate pupils’ learning.
- Assessment is variable, with some pupils less clear about what they must do to improve in a small number of lessons.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a strong culture, thorough training, and staff who know how to spot and respond to signs that pupils are at risk of harm.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 52.4 |
| 2024/25 | 51.0 |
| 2025/26 | 52.5 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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