Best Schools in Torbay

How many schools are there in Torbay?

Torbay has 47 open schools: 31 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 5 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Torbay are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Torbay were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Galmpton Church of England Primary School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 43 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.

Galmpton Church of England Primary SchoolTorquay Girls' Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Torbay get the best GCSE results?

Of the 11 schools in Torbay with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Torquay Boys' Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 70 and 95% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Torquay Girls' Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 68.4 and 95% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 67.3 and 93% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Torquay Boys' Grammar SchoolTorquay Girls' Grammar SchoolChurston Ferrers Grammar School Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Torbay have the best SATs results?

Of the 30 primary schools in Torbay with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Galmpton Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 91% in maths); Ilsham Church of England Academy (88% in reading, 92% in maths); and Warberry CofE Academy (88% in reading, 92% 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.

Galmpton Church of England Primary SchoolIlsham Church of England AcademyWarberry CofE Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Torbay?

Yes. Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy, Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School are state grammar schools in Torbay. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School AcademyTorquay Boys' Grammar SchoolTorquay Girls' Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Torbay have catchment areas?

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

Apply to Torbay 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.