ACE Tiverton Special School, Tiverton
ACE Tiverton Special School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Tiverton, part of Reach South Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
ACE Tiverton Special School in detail
ACE Tiverton Special School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are proud of our school family, which is a vibrant, warm and enjoyable place to learn and work. ACE Tiverton is a secondary special school which opened in September 2019 with 35 students; this September we will have 120 students on roll in two purpose refurbished buildings."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
The trust
ACE Tiverton Special School is one of 20 schools run by Reach South Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 78% to a further education college.
Who goes there
42.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at ACE Tiverton Special School has an education, health and care plan (117 of 117 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of ACE Tiverton Special School.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Orchard Way (n-bound), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 128 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, ACE Tiverton Special School issued 22 suspensions, 19.1 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
42.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Social & online
Keep up with ACE Tiverton Special School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to ACE Tiverton Special School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. ACE Tiverton Special School is in Devon; for families living there:
- Devon's school travel policy: Free school transport
- How to apply: Apply for free school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
117 pupils
115 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Tiverton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tiverton
Across Devon council
Places available
7,788
Applications
7,251
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
117
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
117
Total Pupils
88
Boys
29
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
6.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,217
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.5%
Overall absence
33.6%
Persistent absence
116
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about ACE Tiverton Special School
What are GCSE results like at ACE Tiverton Special School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at ACE Tiverton Special School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 10.6. 11% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is ACE Tiverton Special School's Ofsted rating?
ACE Tiverton Special School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for ACE Tiverton Special School?
No fixed boundary. When ACE Tiverton Special School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to ACE Tiverton Special School?
ACE Tiverton Special School has around 117 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at ACE Tiverton Special School?
14.5% of sessions were missed at ACE Tiverton Special School in 2024/25. 33.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to ACE Tiverton Special School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming ACE Tiverton Special School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near ACE Tiverton Special School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is ACE Tiverton Special School?
ACE Tiverton Special School is at Orchard Way, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 5HB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)