Best Schools in Bideford

How many schools are there in Bideford?

Bideford has 16 open schools: 13 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 1 independent.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Bideford?

None of the 12 graded schools in Bideford currently holds an Outstanding rating. 11 are rated Good, so 92% are Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bideford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Bideford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Atlantic Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.8 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Bideford College, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.3 and 41% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Atlantic AcademyBideford College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bideford have the best SATs results?

Of the 12 primary schools in Bideford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Monkleigh Primary School (93% in reading, 93% in maths); Appledore School (89% in reading, 89% in maths); and Hartland Primary School (79% in reading, 95% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Monkleigh Primary SchoolAppledore SchoolHartland Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bideford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bideford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bideford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bideford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Bideford?

Apply to Devon through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.