Ratton School, Eastbourne
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Ratton School creates a respectful, inclusive community where all pupils - including those with additional needs - are well supported and achieve well. The school offers impressive enrichment opportunities through sports, performing arts, and leadership roles that build pupil confidence. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and create calm, well-ordered classrooms where pupils enjoy learning and feel confident to seek help.
Key Strengths
- Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, enabling them to progress well
- Strong behaviour management with clear routines that create a calm learning environment
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum with focus on developing pupils' speaking and vocabulary skills
- Extensive enrichment opportunities including sports clubs, performing arts, and meaningful work experience
- Strong safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and supported
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment practices need to be embedded more consistently across the curriculum to identify and address knowledge gaps more quickly
- Teaching strategies and adaptations for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND should be implemented more consistently across all subject areas
- Some adaptations for pupils with additional needs could be more precise to make a sustained difference to their learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, annual musical performance at local theatre, orchestra, a cappella choir (Minor Details), ethics lessons, assemblies, trips and visits, student council, house system, transition ambassador roles, peer tutoring, sports leader roles at primary schools, work experience programme
Ratton School is a secondary school in Eastbourne that meets expected standards across all areas. The school has created an ambitious curriculum with effective teaching, strong support for vulnerable pupils, and a positive school culture based on core virtues.
At a Glance
29.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
46
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
1,183 pupils
1,215 capacity
32 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Eastbourne
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Eastbourne
Admissions Demand - East Sussex
Places available
5,548
Applications
4,976
Got 1st preference
86.1%
Got preferred school
96.5%
Secondary admissions across East Sussex (2025/26)
Inspection History(5)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.10546%
Overall absence
23.7329%
Persistent absence
1,243
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Ratton School
Ocklynge Junior School
Parkland Junior School
Parkland Infant School
Motcombe Infants' School
Oakwood Primary Academy
The South Downs School
Pashley Down Infant School
Heron Park Primary Academy
St Thomas A Becket Catholic Primary School
Stafford Junior School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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