Sign up free
Skip to main content

Schools across Devon

Local authority · 426 schools across 61 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Devon →

Schools in Devon (426)

Showing 20 of 426 schools

Total Schools

426

308 primary · 38 secondary

Total Pupils

103,691

82% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

128

5 outstanding · 123 good

Capacity

127,004

23,313 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

123
287
Outstanding: 5
Good: 123
Requires Improvement: 11
Not inspected: 287

Best Schools in Devon

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

33.9

GCSE Eng+Maths

30.8%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

86% full
55,437 pupils64,728 capacity

9,291 spare places

Secondary Schools

78% full
36,740 pupils47,074 capacity

10,334 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

5.9%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

13.8%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

354

2024/25

Absence trend across Devon schools

4.3%
18/19
4.2%
20/21
7.2%
21/22
6.5%
22/23
6.2%
23/24
5.9%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

5%

Plans Issued

974

Assessment Requests

2,329

Tribunal Cases

175

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

32%
2019
54%
2020
39%
2021
12%
2022
5%
2023
3%
2024
5%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

8,658 admissions

46

Lodged

(0.5%)

22

Heard

5

Successful

(23%)

Primary (infant classes)

7,355 admissions

29

Lodged

(0.4%)

13

Heard

3

Successful

(23%)

Secondary

7,994 admissions

66

Lodged

(0.8%)

48

Heard

10

Successful

(21%)

Total

16,652 admissions

112

Lodged

(0.7%)

70

Heard

15

Successful

(21%)

Total appeals lodged per year

415
2019
412
2020
547
2021
362
2022
436
2023
547
2024
209
2025
253
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Devon

Exeter

83 schools

Newton Abbot

36 schools

Barnstaple

31 schools

Tiverton

20 schools

Totnes

19 schools

Bideford

16 schools

Okehampton

12 schools

Exmouth

12 schools

Tavistock

12 schools

Crediton

12 schools

Cullompton

11 schools

Axminster

10 schools

Ivybridge

9 schools

Honiton

9 schools

Kingsbridge

9 schools

Yelverton

8 schools

Beaworthy

7 schools

Dawlish

7 schools

Holsworthy

7 schools

Teignmouth

7 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Devon

How many schools are there in Devon?

Devon has 426 open schools: 308 state primary, 47 state secondary or all-through, 20 independent, 44 special and 7 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Devon are rated Outstanding?

22 schools in Devon were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Vranch House School, Oakwood Specialist College, Blackford Education (Schools) Ltd t/a the Libra School, Mary Tavy and Brentor Community Primary School, Colyton Grammar School and 17 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 330 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.

Vranch House SchoolOakwood Specialist CollegeBlackford Education (Schools) Ltd t/a the Libra SchoolMary Tavy and Brentor Community Primary SchoolColyton Grammar School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Devon get the best GCSE results?

Of the 48 schools in Devon with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Colyton Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 78.3 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Uffculme School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ivybridge Community College, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.6 and 66% 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.

Colyton Grammar SchoolUffculme SchoolIvybridge Community College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Devon have the best SATs results?

3 of the 269 primary schools in Devon with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths: Chagford Church of England Primary School, Christow Primary School and St Mary's Church of England Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Chagford Church of England Primary SchoolChristow Primary SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Devon?

Yes. Colyton Grammar School is a state grammar school in Devon. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Colyton Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Devon have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Devon 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 Devon?

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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables