Ratton SchoolThe Cavendish School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Eastbourne.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Ratton School and The Cavendish School in Eastbourne.
Ratton School scores 56 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Cavendish School scores 73 out of 100 (grade B, strong). The Cavendish School is ahead on our composite score.
Ratton School was judged the expected standard and The Cavendish School was judged exceptional.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 45.5 for Ratton School and 48.2 for The Cavendish School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Ratton School (49.9 in 2021-22, 45.5 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The Cavendish School (52.6 in 2021-22, 48.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | EastbourneRatton School | EastbourneThe Cavendish School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C56/100 | B73/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 13th of 24 in East Sussex | 1st of 24 in East Sussex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 2-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,183 | 1,399 | |
| Capacity | 1,215 | 1,320 | |
| Location | Eastbourne, BN21 2XR | Eastbourne, BN21 1UE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 45.5 | 48.2 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 45.2% | 51.1% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 59.8% | 67.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 239 | 174 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | Not reported | 82.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | Not reported | 10.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | Not reported | 108.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | Not reported | 109.0 | 105.0 |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,197 | 1,372 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 26.6% | 20.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 13.5% | 8.7% | |
| SEN support | 18.5% | 10.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.3% | 1.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.1% | 6.4% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.7% | 13.4% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Ratton School
The Cavendish School
Full profiles: Ratton School · The Cavendish School