Rye College

Rye College is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas. The school, having recently joined the Aquinas Church of England Education Trust, has made significant progress and established a positive learning environment. Students benefit from a robust curriculum and engaging extracurricular activities, with most displaying strong relationships and a commitment to school values. Parents and pupils alike appreciate the improvements and support provided by the school's leadership and staff.

Strengths

• Strong leadership from the headteacher and executive headteacher
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective extra-curricular activities
• High expectations leading to good pupil achievement
• Prioritization of personal development and careers education
• Positive relationships among pupils and staff
• Dedicated and loyal staff committed to the school's mission

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not check pupil understanding before progressing
• Not all staff adapt lessons effectively for pupils with SEND
• Attendance issues for some pupils

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 Rye College attended 87.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 42.5% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Rye College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Rye College had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% 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, 26.0% of pupils at Rye College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.8% 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 Rye College received £8,889 and spent £8,567 for each of its 616 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £505,000 (£820 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Aquinas Church of England Education Trust Limited, income was £7,918 and spending £7,979 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 Rye · East Sussex local authority: places and applications

Rye College is part of Aquinas Church of England Education Trust Limited, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Rye Community Primary School Rye
• Robertsbridge Community College Robertsbridge
• Cudham Church of England Primary School Westerham
• Keston Church of England Primary School Keston
• Trinity Church of England Primary School Bromley
• Bishop Justus CofE School Bromley
• St Nicholas Church of England Primary Chislehurst
• St George's, Bickley, Church of England Primary School Bromley
• St Mark's Church of England Primary School Bromley
• Parish Church of England Primary School Bromley

What is Rye College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rye College is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Rye College last inspected by Ofsted?

Rye College was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Rye College have?

Rye College has 645 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rye College cover?

Rye College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Rye College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.6, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rye College?

Rye College is at The Grove, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7NQ.