St Catherine's College

St Catherine's College is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all key areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school has implemented significant improvements since the new headteacher took over in September 2018, resulting in a positive atmosphere where pupils feel safe, supported, and happy. Pupils have reported a change in the school environment, feeling optimistic about their education. There is a strong sense of community among staff and students, and the school is making progress in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported by adults.
• High standards set for pupil behaviour.
• Strong team camaraderie among staff.
• Effective professional development opportunities for teachers.
• Positive support for disadvantaged pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum for pupils with SEND is not fully meeting their needs.
• Ambition of the curriculum for pupils with SEND lacks oversight.

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 St Catherine's College attended 91.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.9% 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, 12.2% of pupils at St Catherine's College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 St Catherine's College had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.5% 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, 14.8% of pupils at St Catherine's College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.8% 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 St Catherine's College received £8,508 and spent £8,485 for each of its 1,072 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,310,000 (£1,222 per pupil).

Across all 28 schools of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, income was £7,049 and spending £7,093 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 Eastbourne · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

St Catherine's College is part of Diocese of Chichester Academy Trust, which runs 28 schools. The nearest others:

• The Haven Church of England Methodist Primary School Eastbourne
• Tollgate Community Junior School Eastbourne
• St Andrew's Church of England Infants School Eastbourne
• St John's Meads Church of England Primary School Eastbourne
• Little Common School Bexhill-On-Sea
• Ninfield Church of England Primary School Battle
• Chantry Community Primary School Bexhill-On-Sea
• St Leonards Church of England Primary Academy St Leonards-On-Sea
• Christ Church CofE Primary and Nursery Academy Hastings
• St Paul's Church of England Academy St Leonards-On-Sea

What is St Catherine's College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Catherine's College is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was St Catherine's College last inspected by Ofsted?

St Catherine's College was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does St Catherine's College have?

St Catherine's College has 1,064 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Catherine's College cover?

St Catherine's College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are St Catherine's College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.6, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is St Catherine's College?

St Catherine's College is at Priory Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 7BL.