[4] It is a Catholic mixed comprehensive; established to serve the many parishes that lie on the coastal band between Newhaven and Seaford in the east and Shoreham in the west.

Madeleine Sophie Barat -‘RSCJ’ (1779-1865), founded of the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800, in the wake of the French Revolution (1789-1799) to provide educational opportunities for girls.

In the late 19th century the French Republic Government, brought in crippling taxes on all Orders of Convents and Monasteries, forcing the Society of the Sacred Heart to take their educational establishments world-wide.

The nuns themselves supervised the building work and were responsible for the landscaping the site, and the planting of the trees that adorn the school today.

The Stations of the Cross are rather fine and were carved by a pupil of Eric Gill a Brighton born sculptor and typeface designer.

There are three stained-glass windows – the Virgin and Child on the left of the chancel, and St Mary Magdalena Sophia Barat on the right, while in the nave there is a depiction of the Good Shepherd clad in ruby-red clothes.

The carved reredos containing eleven saintly figures, Stations of the Cross including St Mary Madeleine Sophie Barat.

As part of the war effort the school ‘adopted’ the Tribal-Class destroyer HMS Afridi (F07), lost in the Norway Campaign Sunk 3 May 1940 by Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, with a loss of 53 of the ships company, including 12 soldiers from Åndalsnes and Namsos she had embarked earlier.

Their uniform of green coats and gold berets was a familiar sight in Hove, and the blazer carried a colourful badge depicting the Sacred Heart.

The site and buildings were acquired by the Diocese and the De La Salle Brothers took over the running of the school a Xaverian college [14][15] for 420 boys, they had recently occupied Thomas Attree's villa in Queens Park (1909-1966).

[24] In 2019 Newman Rugby Academy enjoyed a successful season winning the National AoC Final at Moseley, Birmingham.