School Chooser

Ripplevale School

Special · ages 6-19MixedIndependent197 pupilsDealKent
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
Strong pass in English and maths4%England 46%
Places53 spare197 pupils, 250 places
Pupils on roll197Census January 2024

Ripplevale School is an independent special school in Deal for boys and girls aged 6 to 19. It has 197 pupils and room for 250.

Chapel Lane, Ripple, Deal, CT14 8JG01304 373866ripplevaleschool.co.ukMrs Jane Norris headteacherAll details

Inspection

This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

28 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score12.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths4%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths7%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 0.70.720182019: 5.75.720192022: 11.011.020222023: 11.011.020232024: 13.713.720242025: 12.312.32025
Since 2018: +11.6
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018KentEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 1128252011169
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 812.313.711.011.05.70.747.846.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths4%4%0%0%0%0%48%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths7%8%15%0%13%0%67%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score1.041.291.181.270.540.004.284.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%48%41%

Subjects

Results came out for 8 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: English Language (10% here, 54% across England), Combined Science (6% here, 36% across England).

What is taught hereOffers computer science.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
10%England 54%
6%England 36%
Mathematics13 entries
15%England 53%
History11 entries
18%England 52%
0%England 56%
20%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
English Language2010%10%15%54%
Combined Science160%6%19%36%
Mathematics130%15%31%53%
History110%18%18%52%
Computer Science110%0%0%56%
English Literature1010%20%20%58%
Religious Studies70%14%29%60%
Business60%33%33%51%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Kent council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll197Census January 2024
Places25079% full
Pupils from low-income familiesGet free school meals
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%197 pupils with a plan
Boys and girls177 / 20
How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll197188175149129115
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals0%0%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans99%100%100%100%100%

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate42 per 1,000 people54% lower than the England average
Typical house price£295,000Dover
Nearest bus stop520 mSutton Road, 0 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles182Good 202243Compare
Learning Opportunities Centre SecondaryIndependent1.1 miles31Not inspectedCompare
The Downs Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles316Good 202313Compare
Hornbeam Primary SchoolAcademy1.5 miles207Good 202325Compare
Warden House Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles380No overall grade 20253Compare
Kingsdown and Ringwould Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles211Outstanding 202393Compare
Sholden Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles91Good 202356Compare
Goodwin AcademyAcademy1.7 miles780No overall grade 20256Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Ripplevale School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Ripplevale School yet.

How good are Ripplevale School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 4% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 12.3, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Ripplevale School have?

197 pupils aged 6 to 19 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 250 places, so it is 79% full.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Chapel Lane, Ripple, Deal, CT14 8JG
Telephone
01304 373866
Website
www.ripplevaleschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jane Norris
Type of school
Independent special school (Other independent special school, special schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 6-19
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Kent
Ward
Guston, Kingsdown & St Margaret's-at-Cliffe
Constituency
Dover and Deal
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
16 October 1970
URN
118995 · LAESTAB 8866047 · UKPRN 10017328

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from