Ratton School Review 2026: Large Eastbourne Secondary with a Strong Pastoral Thread

Ratton School is a large 11–16 secondary in the Ratton area of Eastbourne, with the scale to run a broad curriculum and a busy programme beyond lessons, but without an on-site sixth form. The most recent inspection confirmed the school remains Good, describing a calm, orderly feel and strong relationships between staff and pupils, alongside high expectations and a clear culture of care.

Academically, the headline picture sits below England average when viewed through comparative outcomes. On FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking, Ratton is ranked 2,843rd in England and 5th in Eastbourne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). GCSE progress, measured through Progress 8, is slightly below average at -0.09, which is often the key metric families should focus on, because it relates to how students develop from their starting points.

For families, the practical question is fit. This is a mainstream, mixed comprehensive with a sizeable cohort, clear routines, and a strong emphasis on safeguarding and wellbeing. Admission, like many East Sussex secondaries, runs through the local authority timetable, and demand is oversubscribed in the available admissions data.

Daily life is structured in a way that suits a large school. The published timings show a clear morning routine, including an open breakfast offer before the formal start, then a short line-up, tutor time, and five lessons across the day. This predictability matters. For many students, it reduces friction and supports punctuality and readiness to learn, especially in the transition from primary.

External evidence points to an atmosphere built on relationships and consistency. The inspection report describes strong and supportive relationships between teachers and pupils, a positive working environment, and behaviour that is calm and orderly with low-level disruption not tolerated. It also reports that pupils feel safe, can identify trusted adults, and that bullying is dealt with quickly.

Values and language appear to be part of the operational culture rather than just display material. The school’s published “vision and virtues” framework sets out an emphasis on developing caring, confident and creative students, and the inspection report notes a virtues model that includes compassion, respect, creativity, teamwork, effort and responsibility. The implication for parents is that expectations are likely to be framed through consistent adult language across year teams and tutor groups, which tends to help students understand what is expected, particularly in the early secondary years.

Leadership context is also clear. The current headteacher is Gavin Peevers, as recorded on official listings and within the most recent inspection documentation. A Trust profile states he joined Ratton and South Downs Learning Trust in September 2019 as Head of School and was subsequently appointed headteacher. The published material does not clearly state the appointment date as headteacher, so families who want that detail should confirm directly.

Ratton is a ranked school in FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes dataset. Ranked 2,843rd in England and 5th in Eastbourne for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), it sits below England average, broadly within the bottom 40% of schools by this measure.

The most recent metrics available here point to a mixed attainment picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 41.4, and the average EBacc average point score is 3.5. Progress 8 is -0.09, indicating students make slightly less progress than similar pupils nationally, on average.

For parents interpreting this, the key implication is that Ratton’s outcomes are more likely to be strongest for students who respond well to clear routines, effective pastoral support, and consistent teaching, while students needing consistently high stretch across all subjects may benefit from asking detailed questions about top-set challenge and subject extension. The inspection evidence supports strong subject knowledge and helpful feedback, alongside an emphasis on reading and vocabulary, which can have a meaningful impact on long-term outcomes when implemented consistently across departments.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view nearby schools side-by-side using the same metrics, rather than relying on informal reputations or single headline numbers.

The school positions its curriculum as ambitious and designed to meet the needs of all pupils. External evidence aligns with this intent, noting curriculum construction led by leaders and middle leaders, with developed links to partner primary schools to support continuity.

At Key Stage 3 and 4, the published curriculum overview shows a core model at GCSE, including English Language and Literature, mathematics, combined or separate science, ethics (religious studies and personal, social, health education), and physical education, plus options that typically lead to nine GCSEs for most students. That structure has a practical implication. It suggests a fairly conventional balance of core academic subjects with choice, which tends to suit families who want a recognisable pathway into post-16 study, while still allowing space for vocationally-inclined interests through option choices.

Languages are an area where the school has clearly invested energy. The modern foreign languages page describes Year 7 language study including French, Spanish or Mandarin, with languages taught through Years 7 to 9. The inspection evidence reports work to improve uptake of languages, with initiatives designed to encourage interest, and also highlights that career opportunities linked to languages needed further emphasis.

Reading and literacy are presented as priorities, with additional support for pupils who fall behind. The impact for families is most visible in the early years, when transition gaps can widen quickly. A sustained literacy focus, when combined with effective subject vocabulary teaching, often supports progress across the full curriculum, not only in English.

Ratton’s age range ends at 16, so every family needs an explicit plan for the post-16 transition. The inspection report notes that links with post-16 providers are developing, and that students are actively supported with careers decision-making.

For parents, the implication is that Year 10 and Year 11 choices matter beyond GCSE grades. Asking how guidance is delivered, and how students are supported to move into A-levels, college-based technical routes, apprenticeships, or employment with training, will be important, particularly for students who do best with structured next-step planning.

Because no sixth form performance data is available in the supplied dataset, this review does not make claims about post-16 outcomes. Families should look for recent destination information from the school and, where available, local authority context for participation in education and training.

Ratton is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Admissions for Year 7 follow East Sussex coordinated admissions. For September 2026 entry, East Sussex County Council lists applications opening on 12 September 2025, with the closing date for on-time applications on 31 October 2025. National Offer Day is 2 March 2026, and the council also publishes a deadline for late applications with a good reason (31 January 2026) and an appeal deadline (27 March 2026).

Ratton’s own 2026–27 admissions documentation also references 31 October 2025 as the closing date for September 2026 entry, and explains that late applications are dealt with after allocations, with applicants placed on the waiting list at that stage.

Demand is an important reality check. The available admissions data shows the school oversubscribed, with 663 applications for 241 offers and an applications-to-offers ratio of 2.75. That level of demand means families should treat admission as competitive, particularly where distance is a key criterion.

To understand your practical chances, use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your distance to the school gates, then pair that with the local authority’s published oversubscription criteria and any school-specific admissions notes. Distances vary year-to-year, and Ratton’s last-distance figure is not available in the supplied dataset for this review.

Transition support is also visible for incoming Year 7. The school publishes a summer school pattern for new starters, and for the September 2026 cohort it lists sessions on Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19, and Thursday 20 August 2026.

Pastoral structures at Ratton are built around tutor time and year leadership, which is typical for a large secondary. Published materials position tutors as the first point of contact, including monitoring progress, attendance, punctuality and wellbeing concerns, and signposting to further support where needed.

Safeguarding is a clear strength. The inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, describes a strong safeguarding culture, and notes staff training, a compliant single central record, and timely referrals to external agencies. It also highlights pupil awareness of risks including peer-on-peer abuse and harmful sexual behaviour, which is particularly relevant for parents of students entering Year 7.

The same inspection evidence describes a positive atmosphere and a strong culture of care, with pupils able to name trusted adults and reporting that bullying is dealt with quickly. For families, the practical implication is that concerns are more likely to be handled through clear channels rather than ad hoc responses. That said, parents should still ask how communication works in practice, including how quickly issues are escalated, which staff lead on pastoral cases, and how the school keeps families informed.

Extracurricular life is a significant feature, and the documentation shows both breadth and specificity. The school promotes performing arts opportunities, with routes through drama, dance and music, and it references involvement in amateur dramatics via The Rattonians or RAPA.

The published club timetable for 2025–26 gives a concrete sense of what this looks like week to week. Examples include STEM Club, knitting and sewing, Arabic Club, an open library homework club, chess and Dungeons and Dragons activity, choir, orchestra, jazz band, football, rugby, netball and badminton, plus practical and creative options such as LEGO, Scalextric Club, and school show rehearsals. For students who benefit from belonging, this range matters. It gives multiple entry points for students who are not immediately drawn to traditional team sports, and it can be a stabilising factor for those finding secondary transition socially challenging.

The school also runs enrichment week, which provides a different style of learning and can help students explore interests that do not fit neatly into GCSE subject buckets.

International work appears in the inspection report too, which notes an International Schools Award and references trips abroad including France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Uganda. Families should always confirm current trip programmes and costs, as availability can vary year by year.

The published school-day timings for 2025–26 show breakfast provision from 8.10 to 8.30, line-up from 8.30, tutor time from 8.35, and the formal day finishing at 3.00.

For families managing transport, the school notes bus timing adjustments to align with the 3.00 finish, including a service arriving shortly after the end of the day.

Ratton also publishes practical academic support through homework clubs, with guidance to students and parents indicating supervised spaces in IT rooms and the Learning Resource Centre (library). This is not childcare wraparound in the primary-school sense, but it can be valuable for students who work better in a structured environment or who need support building independent study habits.

• Outcomes and progress are slightly below average. GCSE progress sits at -0.09, and the FindMySchool GCSE ranking places Ratton below England average overall. This may be acceptable for many families if pastoral support and day-to-day teaching consistency are the priority, but ambitious academic families should ask how stretch is delivered for higher prior attainers.

• Consistency of learning retention is an explicit improvement area. Inspectors identified that some teachers did not consistently ensure pupils remembered and embedded key knowledge in long-term memory. Families should ask how this has been addressed since 2022, particularly in core GCSE subjects.

• Admission is competitive in the available data. With oversubscription shown in the published figures, families should treat admission as uncertain unless they are confident on the oversubscription criteria and their likely priority. Use distance tools and do not rely on assumptions.

• No on-site sixth form. The Year 11 transition is compulsory for everyone. Students who need a very guided post-16 pathway should explore how careers guidance works and how the school supports applications to local colleges and training routes.

Ratton School suits families who want a mainstream, mixed comprehensive with clear routines, a strong safeguarding culture, and plenty of structured opportunities beyond lessons. It appears particularly well suited to students who benefit from pastoral consistency and from finding their niche through clubs, performing arts, or practical enrichment.

The key trade-off is outcomes. The comparative data places results below England average overall, so families prioritising top-end academic performance should ask detailed questions about challenge, subject sequencing, and progress strategies. For many local families, the deciding factor will be whether their child will thrive in a large school that puts strong emphasis on care, safety, and belonging.