This community college reaches the parts that others don’t - the pub, to be precise. A class of 15 adults gathers every week at a hostelry in nearby Pulborough to learn how to use laptop computers. “We just started this year and it’s very popular,” says headteacher Eileen Jenkin of the course, part of Rydon’s outreach programme. About 1,000 adults, a quarter of whom are over 60, attend day and evening classes on site and in the surrounding area. The college has two rooms full of computers and courses run from beginners to exam level. In addition, there is the usual variety of classes such as cooking for men, Spanish and Latin for beginners. The college has a school population of 450 intermediate pupils aged 10 to 13, one of ony three schools covering this age group in West Sussex . They are taught the literacy and numeracy strategies and the full range of secondary subjects. Finally, there is a post-16 group who are catered for by a youth club. “What we have here is life-long learning with a few hiccups,” says Mrs Jenkin.

Snaps by head of art Ruth Pickford

Taking pot luck in the canteen.Below: Year 7 swimming gala

Roll out the jam tarts: Rachel Kibblewhite in food technology

Freya, Charmaine and friends in the Year 8 swimming gala

Claudette, Katie, Max and Janet get the morning tuck shop ready

Christine, Mark, Mrs Senior and Leanne in design technology

On your marks: Robyn Hyde at the Year 6 sports day