Our School

"Our strong relationships with parents are crucial, since it is when schools and parents work closely together that children progress best."

Blackthorns is a vibrant primary academy in the beautiful village of Lindfield, near Haywards Heath in West Sussex. We currently have 210 pupils on-roll in our 7 classes, with one class in every year.

Blackthorns Community Primary School initially opened its doors on 6th January 1972 to 186 children. The school was thought to be a temporary solution to a short-term rise in the number of school places needed locally. It became clear over time that this ‘short term rise’ was actually a little more permanent than they had thought and the school has now been growing and thriving for almost 50 years.

As a community primary academy, our role within our local community is very important to us. Our strong relationships with parents are crucial, since it is when schools and parents work closely together that children progress best both academically and as people. Working as we do with children every day is both a responsibility and a privilege.

We have a highly skilled, passionate and dedicated team of teachers and support staff who strive for the very best for the children at our academy. This is very clear as soon as you set foot in our academy, by the wonderful and stimulating environment that is created for the children. It is always a joy to show visitors around our academy and share in some of the things that make Blackthorns such a unique and special place to learn and work.

"We have a highly skilled, passionate and dedicated team of teachers and support staff who strive for the very best for the children at our school."

We are part of a family of academies

We are proud to be part of the University of Brighton Academies Trust, a distinguished organisation dedicated to nurturing and supporting infant, primary, and secondary academies throughout Sussex.

As a family of academies, we collectively pursue common goals and ambitions guided by our shared mission, vision, and values.

Our association with the University of Brighton lends invaluable enrichment to the Trust. Drawing upon their esteemed sponsorship and extensive experience in working with schools, we strive to create an environment where our pupils are not only inspired to excel but also cultivate a lifelong passion for learning.

The benefits of being an academy include:

• Access to expert advice and support from our lead sponsor, the University of Brighton, to further develop our teaching
• Support and expertise from a dedicated professional services team, who help all our academies grow and develop every year
• Curriculum freedoms; as an academy we can develop learning that really excites children
• The continuation of our distinctive and inclusive ethos
• The resources we need to move our good school to outstanding.