St Richard's Catholic College is a mainstream secondary school in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, for children and young people aged 11 to 16. In January 2026, 129 of its 1,029 pupils (12.5%) were getting SEN support and 21 (2%) had an EHC plan.
- Ages 11–16
- 1,029 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
Special educational needs here
From the school census, January 2026. Compared with state secondary schools across England and in East Sussex.
12.5% get SEN support
129 of 1,029 pupils. Help in school without an EHC plan.
About the same as the England average.
2% have an EHC plan
21 of 1,029 pupils. A legal plan from the council, for children who need more help.
Lower than the England average.
Most common needs
- Specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia60
- Autism28
- Social, emotional and mental health26
- Speech, language and communication17
- Moderate learning difficulty7
Pupils by their main need, on SEN support or with an EHC plan. Needs with fewer than 5 pupils aren’t shown.
Figures show how many children the school supports, not how well. To see how it would support your child, talk to the SENCO and read its SEN information report on the school’s website.
School details
- Type
- Mainstream secondary school
- Run as
- Academy
- Ages
- 11 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 1,029 (places for 900)
- Headteacher
- Mr Paul Barber (Principal)
- Part of
- Bosco Catholic Education Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Free school meals
- 14.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- East Sussex
- School reference (URN)
- 151779
How SEN support works
4 steps, from a first chat to an EHC plan
- Talk to the class teacher and the SENCO
If you’re worried about your child, ask for a meeting. Every school has a SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get help.
- SEN support
The school should work out what your child needs, agree a plan with you, put it in place and review it together, usually each term. This is called SEN support.
- An EHC needs assessment
If your child needs more help than the school can usually give, you or the school can ask East Sussex council for an EHC needs assessment. It can lead to an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, which the council must make sure is delivered.
- Free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can help at any stage, and can come to meetings with the school with you.
Questions to ask the SENCO
10 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them at the meeting.
Ofsted
Rated Good, October 2021
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in October 2021.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Ashdown Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN40 1SE
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, its SEN figures and the questions to ask the SENCO, in your inbox.
Nearby
Specialist schools and SEN units
- St Mary's School and 6th Form College Special school · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Glyne Gap School Special school · Ages 2–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.8 miles
- All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.2 miles
- Bexhill High Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 1.6 miles
Other mainstream schools
- St Peter and St Paul CofE Primary School Primary · Ages 5–11 · SEN support 4%, EHC plans 1% 0.4 miles
- Chantry Community Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 19%, EHC plans 2.1% 0.6 miles
- St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School Primary · Ages 4–11 · SEN support 10.1%, EHC plans 1.9% 0.6 miles
All mainstream schools in East Sussex SEND schools in East Sussex
Questions about St Richard's Catholic College
How many pupils at St Richard's Catholic College have special educational needs?
In the January 2026 school census, 129 of the 1,029 pupils (12.5%) were getting SEN support and 21 (2%) had an EHC plan. Across England’s state secondary schools it is 14.1% and 3.5%.
What are the most common needs at St Richard's Catholic College?
Counting pupils on SEN support and with an EHC plan, the most common main needs are dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties (60 pupils), autism (28 pupils) and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs (26 pupils).
Who do I talk to about my child’s needs at St Richard's Catholic College?
The SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). Every school has one, and every school must publish an SEN information report on its website explaining how it supports pupils with SEND.
How do I apply for a place at St Richard's Catholic College?
Through East Sussex council’s school admissions, in the normal application round or during the year. If your child has an EHC plan, you don’t apply this way: you ask for the school to be named in the plan instead.
Can my child with an EHC plan go to St Richard's Catholic College?
You can ask for St Richard's Catholic College to be named in your child’s EHC plan. The council must consult the school and name it, unless it would be unsuitable for your child’s age, ability or needs, or would affect other children’s education or the efficient use of resources.
Does St Richard's Catholic College have an SEN unit or resourced provision?
Not according to the Department for Education’s register of schools. The nearest mainstream school with one is All Saints Church of England Primary School, Bexhill, about 1.2 miles away.
Where is St Richard's Catholic College?
Ashdown Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN40 1SE, in East Sussex.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, SEN figures from DfE Special educational needs in England (the January school census), under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.