Primary schools1 · best KS2 results first
Photo: Michael Garlick · CC BY-SA 2.0C+School Grade
Schools in Steyning · DfE, Ofsted
Steyning’s state schools: secondary results beat 60% of towns in England, primary results only 16%
At Key Stage 2, 53% of pupils at Steyning’s primaries met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, below both West Sussex’s towns (58%) and towns in England (62%). 2 state-funded schools are located in Steyning’s built-up area. Steyning grades C+ for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #21 of 40 in West Sussex. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
53%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
48
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
46%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
School Grade
Steyning grades C+ for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (53% meet the standard)Better than 16% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (48 and 46%)Better than 60% of towns in England
The secondary figure lifts Steyning; the primary figure holds it back.
Steyning has 1 primary of its own with KS2 results, too few to judge on, so the primary figure uses the 2 graded primaries in and within 3 km of the town (325 pupils in results). Steyning has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (350 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Steyning’s 2 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Steyning’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Getting a place
How school places work in Steyning
West Sussex County Council handles applications for every state school in Steyning, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 2 of Steyning’s 2 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%.
Steyning80%
Steyning Grammar72%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
2 state schools in Steyning
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Steyning’s schoolsA 0B 1C 1D 0
Secondary schools1 · best GCSE results first
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Steyning’s 2 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Sixth form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steyning Grammar SchoolMarch 2026 | Met | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard | Expected standard |
After 16
Where Steyning’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Steyning has its own sixth form. The nearest college is Varndean College, a further-education college 8.4 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
1 of 1
state schools in Steyning
Colleges within 12 miles
3
nearest: Varndean College
Grammar schools in West Sussex
0
no selective state secondaries
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| Varndean CollegeFurther-education college · BN1 6WQ | 8.4 mi |
| Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form CollegeFurther-education college · BN3 6EG | 8.6 mi |
| Plumpton CollegeFurther-education college · BN7 3AE | 11.3 mi |
Towns its size
294th of 471 English towns of 4,000 to 7,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Steyning, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | A+ | 83% | 78.4 | 99% |
| … | |||||
| 290 | Blackfield and Langley Hampshire | C+ | 64% | 39.9 | 32% |
| 291 | Brinsley and Underwood Nottinghamshire | C+ | 64% | 39.7 | 33% |
| 292 | Ellesmere Shropshire | C+ | 61% | 42.7 | 40% |
| 293 | Cawston Warwickshire | C+ | 55% | 47 | 46% |
| 294 | Steyning West Sussex | C+ | 53% | 48 | 46% |
| 295 | Saxmundham Suffolk | C+ | 59% | — | — |
| 296 | Malton North Yorkshire | C+ | 57% | 46 | 44% |
| 297 | Stoney Stanton Leicestershire | C+ | 59% | — | — |
| 298 | Brampton South Yorkshire | C | 58% | 44.8 | 44% |
| … | |||||
| 471 | Amble Northumberland | D− | 35% | 32.7 | 16% |
Neighbours
Steyning and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
Upper BeedingFindonHenfieldLancing and SomptingAshingtonShoreham-by-SeaPartridge GreenSteyning
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steyning 2 schools | C+ | 53% | 48 |
| Upper Beeding 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 1.1 mi | C+ | 53% | 48 |
| Findon 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.8 mi | A− | 66% | — |
| Henfield 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.8 mi | D− | 44% | — |
| Lancing and Sompting 6 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4 mi | C | 52% | 47.5 |
| Ashington 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.2 mi | D | 54% | — |
| Shoreham-by-Sea 6 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.6 mi | B | 63% | 47.3 |
| Partridge Green 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 5.1 mi | D− | 49% | — |
Findon has the best-graded schools nearby (A−). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Steyning: 9% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Steyning
Are schools in Steyning good?
Steyning’s state schools earn a C+ against schools across England: primary results beat 16% of towns in England; secondary results beat 60% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by West Sussex council.
Do Steyning secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, it has one.
How do I apply for a school place in Steyning?
Through West Sussex County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many state schools are in Steyning?
2 open state-funded schools are located in Steyning’s built-up area: 1 primary, 1 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.