What schools serve Lewes?

There are 22 schools in Lewes, East Sussex, including Chiddingly Primary School, Hamsey Community Primary School, Laughton Community Primary School, Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School, Western Road Community Primary School and more. You can view each school's catchment area guidance and admissions policy on catchment.school.

How many primary and secondary schools are in Lewes?

Lewes has 15 primary schools and 3 secondary schools. There are also 4 other schools (such as all-through or special schools) in the area. All data is sourced from the Department for Education's GIAS register.

How do I find out if my address is in a school's catchment area in Lewes?

To check whether your address falls within a school's catchment area in Lewes, use the postcode search tool at catchment.school. Catchment area boundaries for Lewes schools are set by East Sussex and reviewed each year. You can also consult the school's admissions policy or contact the East Sussex admissions team directly for the most up-to-date boundary maps.

Who sets catchment area boundaries for schools in Lewes?

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Lewes are set by East Sussex as the admissions authority. Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the council's published admissions policy, while academies and voluntary-aided schools may set their own. Boundaries are reviewed annually and published each September for the following academic year.

Schools in Lewes

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, sitting in the South Downs between Brighton and Eastbourne, with 22 state schools including 15 primaries serving the town and surrounding villages such as Ringmer and Ditchling. East Sussex County Council coordinates admissions and publishes catchment maps annually.

Lewes has three secondary schools: two in the town and one serving the Ringmer area. The Lewes schools have been oversubscribed in recent years as families relocate from Brighton and London - parents should check the last-distance-offered data carefully and consider applying to all three secondaries if they live at the edge of the town.

School demand in Lewes

Across the 20 schools in Lewes with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 83%. 2 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.

9 schools in Lewes have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.

3 of the schools in Lewes are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of East Sussex, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.

4 of the schools in Lewes have a current Ofsted rating, of which 4 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.

Primary schools in Lewes: 1 oversubscribed (15)

Chiddingly Primary School

Primary · Community school

Lewes · BN8 6HN

Ages 5-11 103 pupils Capacity 105

Hamsey Community Primary School

Primary · Community school

Lewes · BN8 4SJ

Ages 4-11 95 pupils Capacity 105

Laughton Community Primary School

Primary · Community school

Lewes · BN8 6AH

Ages 5-11 75 pupils Capacity 105

Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School

Primary · Community school

Lewes · BN7 1PU

Ages 3-11 305 pupils Capacity 404

Western Road Community Primary School

Primary · Foundation school

Lewes · BN7 1JB

Ages 4-11 211 pupils Capacity 210

Plumpton Primary School

Primary · Community school

Lewes · BN7 3EB

Ages 4-11 130 pupils Capacity 140