Brixham College, Brixham

Ofsted's report card from its 31 March 2026 inspection grades Brixham College on 7 areas: 1 expected standard and 6 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's ‘values' curriculum is comprehensive, helping pupils to understand the world, others and reflect on their relationships."

Achievement - Needs attention. "For two years, pupils' achievement in national tests has been below average."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Overall attendance is below the national average, although there has been some marginal improvement year-on-year."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have a clear vision for how they want pupils to learn."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has not been reliable over time."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Since the previous inspection, improvements have not been sustained for long enough to have had a lasting impact."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "The sixth form offers a broad and interesting range of A-level qualifications and applied courses."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that pupils consistently benefit from the adaptations to the curriculum and teaching that they need, so that they each have every opportunity to achieve highly"; "Leaders should ensure that weaknesses in pupils' writing are identified early and addressed effectively"; "Leaders should check carefully that their attendance strategy is working to secure sustained improvements in pupils' overall attendance and further reduce persistent absence"; "Leaders and governors should develop regular and constructive communication with families, to build trust and confidence as improvements are embedded across the school"; "Leaders should continue to develop their strategic oversight of the school's improvement priorities, ensuring that improvements are implemented effectively and bring about a sustained impact over time".

In 2026, pupils at Brixham College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 37.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49.6 in Torbay and 47 across England.

23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Torbay and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 36.7.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.74: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.2, against 41.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Brixham College as their first choice and 224 named it as one of their preferences, for 134 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Brixham College are Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy (2.2 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 67.3); Paignton Academy (4.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.5); and Dartmouth Academy (5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Brixham College.

Brixham College is one of 26 schools run by The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.9 in 2024/25.

144 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Brixham College (as of April 2026): 52% would recommend the school, 53% say their child is happy there and 26% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (64%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (26%).

Of the 182 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 48 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 38% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 20% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

Brixham College has a resourced provision for autism.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Churston (Paignton and Dartmouth Railway), about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community College (opposite), 90 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 103 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Torbay (245).

In 2024/25, Brixham College issued 316 suspensions, 30 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Brixham College are Brixham Church of England Primary School (0.1 miles), Furzeham Primary School (0.4 miles), Eden Park Primary & Nursery School (0.7 miles) and St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.