Best Schools in Dawlish

How many schools are there in Dawlish?

Dawlish has 7 open schools: 2 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Dawlish are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Dawlish was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Oakwood Specialist College. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 5 graded schools here are rated 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.

Oakwood Specialist College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Dawlish get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Dawlish with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Dawlish College, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.1 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Orchard Manor School, with an Attainment 8 score of 6.5 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Dawlish CollegeOrchard Manor School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Dawlish have the best SATs results?

Of the 2 primary schools in Dawlish with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Gatehouse Primary Academy (70% in reading, 66% in maths); and Westcliff Primary Academy (48% in reading, 50% 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.

Gatehouse Primary AcademyWestcliff Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Dawlish?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Dawlish have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Dawlish 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 Dawlish?

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.