It is a voluntary aided school, founded in 1959 and maintained by East Sussex County Council and caters for children aged 11–16.

The inspection showed that 'Leaders and teachers have a clear and ambitious vision for the curriculum' and also that 'They are dedicated to providing all pupils with the best quality of education and care'.

The school had to take infants, juniors, and seniors, despite the fact that 'the buildings [were] totally inadequate to house all these groups for education'.

St. Richard's is, as of December 2023, the only Catholic secondary school in East Sussex (the nearest alternatives being in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells).

This decision followed a letter from the archdiocesan secretary responsible for education (at his time, Eastbourne and Bexhill both fell within an archdiocese–the Archdiocese of Southwark–as Arundel and Brighton had yet to be created).

[9] Finally, on 8 April, the council agreed with the Finance Committee and voted by a majority of twenty to five to subsidise only half of any future pupils' fares.

This proved controversial as some interpreted the vote to contradict contemporary directives issued by the Ministry of Education (whereby full fares, in that instance, could be paid).

So, prior to the elections of May, the same year, local Cannon J J Curtin took the issue to the pulpit at Sunday Mass: "It would be a good if all Catholics," he said, "when canvassed for their votes [...] satisfied themselves that candidates would, if elected, endeavour to get the decision of Eastbourne Council to pay only half of the fare for pupils to the new Catholic school in Bexhill rescinded.

In its early years, St. Richard's Catholic School existed largely in the shadow of the local grammar (now Bexhill High Academy).

[12] However, following the Cessation of Grant Regulations 1975, which saw the conversion of many grammar schools across the country,[13] the playing field between St Richard's and Bexhill High (as it was known) was to a level.

The former headteacher, Anthony Campbell's, achievements were recognised in the 2007 New Year's Honours List, in which he received an OBE for 'services to education'.

[citation needed] There are four houses at St Richard's Catholic College: Rigby, Wells, Gwyn and Howard (red, yellow, green and blue, respectively).