Our Lady of Sion School

What Our Lady of Sion School does

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent co-educational day school in Worthing, West Sussex, founded in 1862 as part of the worldwide network of schools established by the Sisters of Sion. It serves children aged 3 to 18 across four sequential stages — Nursery (Early Years), Junior School (Years 1-6), Senior School (Years 7-11 leading to GCSEs), and Sixth Form (A Levels with EPQ) — on two campuses on Gratwicke Road and Westbrooke. The school differentiates through small class sizes of 12-18 pupils versus national averages of 28-30, an independent curriculum not bound by state frameworks, and verified Value Added outcomes placing it in the top 2% of schools nationally (FFT Aspire VA score of +1). Pastoral outcomes are exceptional, with 98.2% of pupils reporting they feel very safe and over 90% reporting they are very happy.

The school's core technology stack is a Firefly Cloud learning management system used by parents and students, supplemented by FFT Aspire as a third-party benchmarking platform for academic performance. The operating model is delivered through a sales-led admissions process combined with community-led engagement via the Original Minds Circle (free enrichment programme for local Year 5-11 children) and SEED (Sion Education Experience Days during school holidays). Strategic partnerships with The Free From Food Co. (allergen-free kitchen, ProVeg Gold), Knepp Wilding (ecological learning), and a range of workshop providers support differentiated enrichment.

Revenue is generated through annual tuition fees billed on a subscription cadence, with scholarships (Ratisbonne, Lumen, Louise Humann) offering up to 10% fee reduction. In November 2025, the school purchased its entire site with financial support from the Sisters of Sion, eliminating rental costs and enabling a substantial fee reduction announced for April 2026. A new Headteacher, Mrs Emily Hill, takes over from Steve Jeffery in September 2026 after 11 years of prior leadership.

Name

Our Lady of Sion School

Legal name

Our Lady of Sion School

Website

https://sionschool.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1862

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent co-educational day school in Worthing, West Sussex, serving children aged 3-18 across Nursery, Junior, Senior, and Sixth Form stages, with top 2% nationally Value Added outcomes, class sizes of 12-18, and a worldwide Sisters of Sion heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Independent day school
• Primary secondary education
• Early years learning
• Gcse a level programs
• Sixth form college

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. School Fees: The primary revenue stream is tuition fees charged to families. Following the purchase of the school site (November 2025), the school announced a substantial fee reduction from April 2026, passing on savings from eliminated rental costs to families. The school also accepts applications throughout the year and offers financial support through bursaries and scholarships.
2. Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): The EPQ is offered as a standalone Level 3 qualification alongside A Levels, equivalent to half a full A level and graded A*-E. This represents an additional fee stream for sixth form students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent co-educational day school in Worthing, West Sussex, providing education for students aged 3-18 across four sequential stages: Nursery (Early Years), Junior School (Years 1-6), Senior School (Years 7-11 leading to GCSEs), and Sixth Form (A Levels with EPQ). The school operates with small class sizes of 12-18 pupils, an independent curriculum not bound by government frameworks, and enrichment programmes including the Original Minds Circle (OMC) and Challenge Plus.

Product overview

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent day school providing co-educational education from ages 3 to 18. The core offering comprises four sequential stages: Nursery (Early Years), Junior School (Years 1-6), Senior School (Years 7-11 leading to GCSEs), and Sixth Form (A Levels). The school differentiates through enrichment programmes including the Original Minds Circle (OMC) for gifted thinkers, the Challenge Plus extension programme, and scholarship opportunities (Ratisbonne, Lumen, Louise Humann). Facilities include an allergen-free kitchen (Gold award winner), Forest and Beach School programmes, and partnerships such as Knepp Wilding for ecological learning. Taster experiences are delivered through SEED (Sion Education Experience Days).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursery Programme Early years education for children from age 3, encompassing Early Years Foundation Stage, Nursery, and Reception classes, providing foundational learning in a nurturing environment for parents seeking high-quality early years education.
• Junior School Primary education for Years 1-6, offering a structured curriculum including English, Maths, Science, Humanities, Art, Design Technology, Music, and PSHE, with co-curricular activities and the Challenge Plus programme.
• Senior School Secondary education for Years 7-11, preparing students for GCSE examinations across core and optional subjects including Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Arts, and Design Technology. Students typically take 8-10 GCSEs.
• Sixth Form A Level provision for Years 12-13, offering a range of A Level subjects alongside the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), with dedicated careers and UCAS guidance through the VISion centre. Comprehensive university application support for places at Russell Group universities.
• Sion Education Experience Day (SEED)

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of students achieved grades 9-4 in 2025 GCSEs
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Free From Food Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026The Free From Food Co. is the school's trusted food partner, operating Sion's sector-leading completely allergen-free kitchen. The partnership has resulted in Gold awards at the ProVeg School Plates Awards. Gary Hardley leads all food provision within the allergen-free kitchen, ensuring genuinely safe, inclusive food environments for pupils.
• Ghost Copy MusicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Brighton-based music producer led the Original Minds Circle music production workshop 'Inside the Mind of the Music Maker'. Ian Lovatt's career includes work with Jess Glynne, Calum Scott, and Sam Tompkins. The workshop provided hands-on creative tasks and real industry processes for students.
• Billy and BeyondminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025Leading UK initiative dedicated to promoting drug safety and harm reduction among young people. The workshop offered practical advice on staying safe in real-world situations, interactive sessions on risks associated with recreational drugs, and non-judgemental guidance supporting student wellbeing.
• University of SouthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2024Professor Andrew Cundy from the School of Ocean and Earth Science led an Original Minds Circle workshop on environmental radiochemistry and the Anthropocene. Professor Cundy is also a member of the Anthropocene Working Group, an international research group.
• Knepp Wilding ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership providing immersive ecological learning experiences for students. Part of the school's STEM education and outdoor learning programme. Students engage with ecosystems and sustainability through visits to Knepp Wilding, reinforcing environmental awareness and planet stewardship central to the school's ethos.
• FFT AspirecoreTechnology or IntegrationEducational data platform used by Sion School as its primary source for Value Added (VA) data. Provides detailed performance analysis comparing student outcomes to national averages. FFT Aspire data confirmed Sion's VA score of +1 placing it in the top 2% of schools nationally.
• Notre Dame de Sion NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a worldwide network of schools and colleges founded by the Sisters of Sion. The global network provides opportunities for international collaboration and shared values that extend beyond Worthing, fostering an international perspective for students.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Brighton College: Leading independent co-educational day and boarding school in nearby East Sussex. Directly comparable as a fee-charging UK independent school serving 3-18 with strong academic outcomes, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic catchment, positioning it as a senior incumbent that competes for the same West Sussex family pool.

Direct peers

• Worth School: Independent co-educational Catholic day and boarding school in West Sussex. Directly comparable faith-rooted, value-added-focused independent school competing in the same geographic catchment, with overlapping sixth-form and scholarship offerings.
• Ardingly College: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Mid Sussex. Comparable co-ed independent offering across nursery through sixth form with similar value-added positioning and a similar competitor profile for West Sussex families.
• Bedales School: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Hampshire. Comparable progressive, holistic independent school with similar emphasis on outdoor learning, individual curriculum design and value-added outcomes rather than raw league-table position.
• Roedean School: Independent girls' boarding and day school in Brighton. Comparable fee-charging independent school operating in the same South East market with similar value-added emphasis, although single-sex boarding-led model differs from Sion's co-ed day focus.
• Christ's Hospital: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in West Sussex with strong bursary provision. Comparable independent school competing in the same catchment, with overlapping values around access and pastoral care.
• Lancing College: Independent co-educational boarding and day school in West Sussex. Closest geographic and segment peer to Sion, competing for the same Worthing-and-surrounds family catchment at senior and sixth-form level, with comparable Christian foundation heritage and similar small-cohort, pastoral-led positioning.
• Seaford College: Independent co-educational boarding and day school in West Sussex. Overlapping co-ed K-12 / sixth-form peer competing for the same local feeder families, with similar small-class and value-added positioning.

Regional players

• Windlesham House School: Independent co-educational prep school (ages 4-13) in West Sussex. Directly comparable feeder and junior-stage independent peer operating in the same local catchment, competing for the same preparatory-age families before they transition to senior schools like Sion.
• Burgess Hill Girls: Independent day school for girls in West Sussex (3-18). Comparable independent school competing in the same catchment for the female share of co-ed applicants, with similar small-class and academic-outcome positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sion-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Our Lady of Sion School