Varndean School
Community school in Brighton, Brighton and Hove.
School details
| Phase | Secondary |
|---|---|
| Type | Community school |
| Age range | 11 to 16 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Admissions policy | Non-selective |
| Sixth form | Does not have a sixth form |
| Pupils on roll | 1487 (school census 15-01-2026) |
| Capacity | 1500 |
| Free school meals | 23.00% |
| Local authority | Brighton and Hove |
| Address | Balfour Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6NP |
| Map | View on Google Maps |
| Website | http://www.varndean.co.uk |
| Telephone | 01273561281 |
| URN | 114579 |
Ofsted inspection
Latest graded inspection under the previous framework (Education Inspection Framework), started 5 October 2022, published 15 November 2022:
| Overall effectiveness | Good |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Safeguarding effective | Yes |
Read the Ofsted reports for this school
Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall effectiveness grades in September 2024 and introduced report cards from November 2025. Older grades are shown with their dates and may not reflect the school today.
Planning for university
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Nearby schools
- Dorothy Stringer School (secondary school, about 0.5 km)
- Patcham High School (secondary school, about 1.4 km)
- Cardinal Newman Catholic School (secondary school, about 2.1 km)
- Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (secondary school, about 3.1 km)
- Blatchington Mill School (secondary school, about 3.2 km)
- Hove Park School and Sixth Form Centre (secondary school, about 3.2 km)
- King's School (secondary school, about 3.9 km)
- Longhill High School (secondary school, about 6.0 km)
Browse: Secondary schools in Brighton and Hove
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. School data: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (downloaded 11 October 2026). Inspection data: Ofsted, state-funded schools inspections and outcomes management information (as at 31 August 2026). Last updated 2026-10-11.