Brunel School, Paignton
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Brunel School excels at helping pupils feel truly valued and understood, creating a sense of belonging that many had never experienced before. The school balances academic learning with crucial social and emotional support, helping pupils develop the confidence and skills they need. Staff work sensitively with families to remove barriers to attendance and learning, resulting in pupils who increasingly want to come to school.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on building positive relationships and a safe, inclusive school culture where pupils feel understood and valued
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum that balances academic learning with essential social and emotional development
- Effective work with families to improve attendance, with rapid improvements achieved through swift, sensitive support
- Comprehensive personal development programme including outdoor education, sports, music and life skills
- Strong safeguarding systems with open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistency in behaviour management and approach to creating a wholly positive learning environment
- Some pupils continue to experience bullying and discriminatory behaviour, though it is becoming less common
- Need to further develop consistent approaches to support more positive interactions and respectful behaviour across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Beach visits, swimming in the sea, lifeguard engagement, sporting activities, music, cultural opportunities, outdoor education, cooking, digital skills, work experience, alternative provision placements
Brunel School is a special educational needs school that has made significant improvements in safeguarding, attendance, and school culture under new leadership. The school now provides an ambitious, inclusive curriculum that helps pupils achieve well from their varied starting points.
At a Glance
76.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
64 pupils
63 capacity
1 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Paignton
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Paignton
Admissions Demand - Torbay
Places available
1,755
Applications
1,375
Got 1st preference
79.4%
Got preferred school
92.8%
Secondary admissions across Torbay (2025/26)
Inspection History(101)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
Pupil Absence2024/25
42.81922%
Overall absence
87.5%
Persistent absence
64
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Brunel School
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