Ranelagh School

Ranelagh School is a highly effective secondary school that was judged outstanding in every area of its provision at its November 2024 inspection. This was the school's first routine inspection since 2015, having previously been exempt, and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have created a culture of excellence in which pupils are highly motivated, achieve exceptionally well—including in national assessments—and behave impeccably, supported by a character-development programme built around the 'Ranelagh Student Learner Profile'. The school offers a rich, ambitious and regularly reviewed curriculum, including a strong EBacc take-up in Key Stages 4 and a widened vocational offer in the sixth form alongside A-levels. Teachers are subject experts who explain concepts skilfully, build on prior learning, emphasise vocabulary and check understanding carefully, and a well-structured reading programme supports weaker readers. Leaders, trustees and governors make decisions in pupils' best interests, with personalised provision for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, effective safeguarding, high attendance and strong staff support for well-being and workload. Personal development is a particular strength: pupils benefit from an extensive extra-curricular offer, a comprehensive careers programme and a curriculum that builds responsible, active citizens, with older students contributing to the wider community. The school's inclusive, community-minded ethos, rooted in its Church of England foundation as part of the Bonitas Multi-Academy Trust, is evident throughout. Inspectors identified no areas of concern and the school continues to perform at an exceptional level.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education with a rich, ambitious and regularly reviewed curriculum
• Exceptionally strong pupil outcomes at the end of Years 11 and 13
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and highly positive attitudes to learning
• Calm classrooms with warm relationships between staff and pupils
• Skilful, subject-expert teaching that builds on prior learning and addresses misconceptions
• Strong whole-school focus on vocabulary and reading, with effective support for weaker readers
• Personalised provision that helps pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils achieve highly
• Exemplary character-development curriculum fostering responsible, active citizens
• Extensive extra-curricular clubs, trips, sports and leadership opportunities
• Comprehensive careers programme with independent guidance, work experience and employer engagement
• High attendance with bespoke support for pupils facing barriers
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong leadership, governance and trust oversight with a clear focus on staff well-being and workload
• Inclusive, community-minded ethos underpinned by the school's vision and values

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ranelagh School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 2.8% of pupils at Ranelagh School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ranelagh School had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 4.0% of pupils at Ranelagh School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Ranelagh School received £7,725 and spent £7,858 for each of its 1,101 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £376,000 (£342 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, income was £7,225 and spending £7,175 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bracknell · Bracknell Forest local authority: places and applications

Ranelagh School is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which runs 46 schools. The nearest others:

• Jennett's Park CofE Primary School Bracknell
• Holyport CofE Primary School Maidenhead
• St Peter's Church of England Middle School Windsor
• All Saints Church of England Junior School Maidenhead
• Burchetts Green CofE Infants' School Maidenhead
• St Luke's CofE Primary School Maidenhead
• Datchet St Mary's CofE Primary School Slough
• New Town Primary School Reading
• St John's Church of England Primary School Reading
• New Christ Church Church of England Primary School Reading

What is Ranelagh School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ranelagh School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Ranelagh School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ranelagh School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Ranelagh School have?

Ranelagh School has 1,138 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ranelagh School cover?

Ranelagh School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ranelagh School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 56.7, and 67% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ranelagh School?

Ranelagh School is at Ranelagh Drive, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 9DA.