• Rikkyo is holistic, disciplined and grounded in Christian values as well as Japanese educational tradition.
• The school emphasises living and learning together, bilingual development and educating the whole person within a close community.
• The school is distinctive, international and community-led.

• A highly specific choice that will appeal to a relatively narrow but very committed group of families.
• The attraction is the combination of Japanese educational culture, boarding community and strong English-language and British-cultural exposure.
• It will suit parents who actively want that dual identity rather than those simply comparing conventional Sussex independents.

Rikkyo's admissions process is shaped by its unusual position as a bilingual boarding school with a strong Japanese educational identity, so fit matters enormously. Public policy material suggests a structured process involving application, school reports and judgement about whether the student is likely to benefit from the school's ethos, standards and dual-context education.

Rikkyo is not primarily marketed through a conventional British scholarship culture. The more meaningful draw is the specialist bilingual and boarding experience, so families should think less about fee awards and more about whether the school's distinctive curriculum and community are the right long-term investment.

• The school does not publish bursary entry points, so families should ask directly.
• The school does not publish bursary award levels, so families should ask directly.
• Families should contact the school directly to ask whether any bursary, hardship support or discretionary fee assistance is available.

The current inspection information is mixed but clear enough for families to interrogate properly. Ofsted currently lists the school as Requires Improvement, while published inspection material from 2022 and 2023 describes a demanding curriculum and good progress in boarding, so this is a school that should be chosen with eyes open and with direct questioning on a visit.