The Cavendish School is an all-through mainstream school in Eastbourne, East Sussex, for children and young people aged 2 to 16. In January 2026, 158 of its 1,399 pupils (11.3%) were getting SEN support and 17 (1.2%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 2–16
- 1,399 pupils
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in East Sussex.
11.3% get SEN support
158 of 1,399 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
1.2% have an EHC plan
17 of 1,399 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Speech, language and communication75
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia50
- Social, emotional and mental health30
- Autism13
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream all-through school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 2 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,399 (places for 1,320)
- Headteacher
- Mr Peter Marchant
- Part of
- Cavendish Education Trust
- Free school meals
- 17.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- East Sussex
- School reference (URN)
- 138475
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask East Sussex council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Graded by area, January 2025; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (September 2023)
Inspected in January 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Eldon Road, Eastbourne, BN21 1UE
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- The South Downs School Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.4 miles
- Summerdown School Special school · Ages 3–16 1.0 mile
- The Eastbourne Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 1.6 miles
- Willingdon Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 2.1 miles
Other mainstream schools
- Motcombe Infants' School Primary · Ages 5–7 · SEN support 13.2%, EHC plans 0.5% 0.2 miles
- Ocklynge Junior School Primary · Ages 7–11 · SEN support 24%, EHC plans 2.1% 0.4 miles
- Pashley Down Infant School Primary · Ages 4–7 · SEN support 14.3%, EHC plans 3% 0.5 miles
All mainstream schools in East Sussex SEND schools in East Sussex
Questions about The Cavendish School
How many pupils at The Cavendish School have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 158 of the 1,399 pupils (11.3%) were getting SEN support and 17 (1.2%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at The Cavendish School?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are speech, language and communication needs (75 pupils), dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (50 pupils) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (30 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at The Cavendish School?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at The Cavendish School?
Through East Sussex council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to The Cavendish School?
You can ask for The Cavendish School to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does The Cavendish School have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is The Eastbourne Academy, about 1.6 miles away.
Where is The Cavendish School?
Eldon Road, Eastbourne, BN21 1UE, in East Sussex.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.