Best Schools in Paignton

How many schools are there in Paignton?

Paignton has 15 open schools: 10 state primary, 1 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Are there any Outstanding schools in Paignton?

None of the 14 graded schools in Paignton currently holds an Outstanding rating. 14 are rated Good, so 100% 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 Paignton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Paignton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Paignton Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 38.5 and 30% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; South Devon College, with an Attainment 8 score of 28.9 and 22% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Brunel School, with an Attainment 8 score of 2.7 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Paignton AcademySouth Devon CollegeBrunel School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Paignton have the best SATs results?

Of the 9 primary schools in Paignton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Curledge Street Academy (82% in reading, 87% in maths); Marldon Church of England Primary School (87% in reading, 80% in maths); and Hayes School (81% in reading, 83% 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.

Curledge Street AcademyMarldon Church of England Primary SchoolHayes School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Paignton?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Paignton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Paignton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council 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 Paignton?

Apply to your council - Torbay or Devon, depending on your address - 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.