Best Schools in Torquay

These schools serve pupils with particular needs, so they aren't ranked against mainstream schools on exam results. Places are usually arranged through the council, often via an Education, Health and Care plan.

Combe Pafford SchoolAges 8-19 · Good
Eat That Frog C.I.CAges 16-25 · Good
Mayfield SchoolAges 2-19 · Good
Phoenix Bay SchoolAges 5-16 · Good
The Lodestar AcademyAges 11-16 · Good

Questions parents ask about schools in Torquay

How many schools are there in Torquay?

Torquay has 28 open schools: 17 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 4 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Torquay are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Torquay was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Torquay Girls' Grammar School. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 26 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.

Torquay Girls' Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Torquay get the best GCSE results?

Of the 6 schools in Torquay 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 Torquay Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.7 and 54% 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 School Torquay Girls' Grammar School Torquay Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Torquay have the best SATs results?

Of the 17 primary schools in Torquay with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Ilsham Church of England Academy (88% in reading, 92% in maths); Warberry CofE Academy (88% in reading, 92% in maths); and Torre Church of England Academy (91% in reading, 86% 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.

Ilsham Church of England Academy Warberry CofE Academy Torre Church of England Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Torquay?

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

Torquay Boys' Grammar School Torquay Girls' Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Torquay have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Torquay 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 Torquay?

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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.