School History

Sackville School was founded by public subscription in 1859 as a National (Church) School on a site provided by Countess Amherst, a member of the Sackville family. The original buildings now form the eastern part of the Chequer Arts Centre in De la Warr Road.
In 1951 the senior school was re-named Sackville, and moved to its present site on Lewes Road in 1964. The first comprehensive intake came in 1970 and was followed by considerable building developments to keep pace with the needs of a rapidly growing school. The badge is the red rose of the duchy of Lancaster, of which the town of East Grinstead was once a part.
It is fully comprehensive, with no competition from selective schools, serving the eastern half of East Grinstead, together with parts of East Sussex and Surrey. Its motto: ‘Together we Achieve’ encapsulates the school’s pragmatic approach; we like to think that there is, indeed, a Sackville style. Much of that style is to be found in our firm belief that our school should be a structured and disciplined society.
Within that framework we aim to encourage all our students to attain the highest standards of which they are capable, both in work and play, to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitude needed for a full, responsible and happy adult life, and to learn both self-respect and respect for others.