St Mary's School and 6th Form College, Bexhill on Sea
St Mary's School and 6th Form College is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 19 in Bexhill on Sea. It has an Inter- / non- denominational religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2022.
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's School and 6th Form College in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Mary's School and 6th Form College are Glyne Gap School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Bexhill Independent Special School (1.7 miles); Saxon Mount School (2.2 miles, Good); and Headstart (3.2 miles, Good).
Glyne Gap SchoolBexhill Independent Special SchoolSaxon Mount SchoolHeadstart
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 40% to a further education college.
Who goes there
38.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.2% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at St Mary's School and 6th Form College has an education, health and care plan (221 of 221 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Mary's School and 6th Form College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bexhill Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chartres (before), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 229 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Sussex (65), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's School and 6th Form College recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Sixth form.
At a Glance
38.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Other, Hearing +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with St Mary's School and 6th Form College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's School and 6th Form College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's School and 6th Form College is in East Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to East Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
221 pupils
250 places
29 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bexhill on Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bexhill on Sea
Across East Sussex council
Places available
5,496
Applications
4,990
Got 1st preference
86.3%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across East Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(16)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
221
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Mary's School and 6th Form College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
221
Total Pupils
151
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
23.3%
Persistent absence
159
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
St Mary's School and 6th Form College
Questions parents ask about St Mary's School and 6th Form College
What are GCSE results like at St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Mary's School and 6th Form College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 7.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Mary's School and 6th Form College's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's School and 6th Form College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's School and 6th Form College is oversubscribed, East Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
St Mary's School and 6th Form College has around 221 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Mary's School and 6th Form College have specialist SEN provision?
St Mary's School and 6th Form College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
7.9% of sessions were missed at St Mary's School and 6th Form College in 2024/25. 23.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
Apply through East Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's School and 6th Form College on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in East Sussex is 8 (the median across 221 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's School and 6th Form College?
St Mary's School and 6th Form College is at Wrestwood Road, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, TN40 2LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)