Cuckmere House School is a special academy in Seaford, East Sussex, for children and young people aged 6 to 16. It supports autism and SEMH.
- Ages 6–16
- 92 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 6 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 92 (places for 66)
- Headteacher
- Mr David Donnelly (Executive Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Sabden Multi Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 September 2015
- Free school meals
- 63.7% of pupils eligible
- Council
- East Sussex
- School reference (URN)
- 142146
Needs it supports
2 needs: autism, SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in East Sussex (4)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often East Sussex council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, July 2025; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (January 2024)
Inspected in July 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, January 2024).
Contact and getting there
Eastbourne Road, Seaford, BN25 4BA
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Bowden House School Special school · Ages 5–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
- Denton Community Primary School and Nursery Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 3.7 miles
- The South Downs School Special school · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 5.4 miles
All SEND schools in East Sussex
By need in East Sussex: Autism (27) · Speech and language (13) · Moderate learning (12) · Severe learning (7) · SEMH (5) · Hearing (5) · Physical (5) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2)
Questions about Cuckmere House School
How do I get a place at Cuckmere House School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Cuckmere House School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Cuckmere House School support?
Autism and social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Cuckmere House School take?
Aged 6 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Cuckmere House School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in July 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Cuckmere House School?
Eastbourne Road, Seaford, BN25 4BA, in East Sussex.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, 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.