ROC College (part of United Response), Totnes
ROC College (part of United Response) is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 24 in Totnes. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2025)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
ROC College (part of United Response) in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to ROC College (part of United Response) are On Track Education Totnes (0.6 miles, Good); Lifeworks College (1.9 miles, Good); Bidwell Brook School (2.1 miles, Good); and Redwood River School (2.2 miles).
On Track Education TotnesLifeworks CollegeBidwell Brook SchoolRedwood River School
Who goes there
ROC College (part of United Response) is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Totnes Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parkers Way (w-bound), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 67 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
ROC College specialises in supporting learners with high needs who have previously disengaged from mainstream education. The college has created a supportive environment with flexible learning arrangements, including reduced timetables and home-learning options tailored to individual learners' circumstances. Staff provide strong personalised support to help learners overcome barriers to attendance and complete their programmes.
Key Strengths
- Leaders have strengthened quality oversight with more rigorous processes and regular visits to regional hubs -
- College has employed specialist staff to support learners' attendance and wellbeing, including flexible timetables and home-learning options -
- Assessment policy has been improved with standardised feedback methods and increased scrutiny of learner work -
- Leaders have developed strong relationships with local authorities to understand learners' needs and create tailored engagement plans
Areas for Improvement
- Achievement rates remain substantially below national levels, particularly in English and mathematics -
- Curriculum design needs further work to ensure programmes suit learners' individual stages of learning -
- Some tutors lack subject-specialist knowledge to provide precise feedback on learner work -
- Feedback on English skills improvement remains too vague in some cases
ROC College is a specialist provider serving 105 learners with high needs across regional hubs in Cornwall and Devon. This monitoring inspection found that leaders have made progress on several improvement areas, though achievement rates remain substantially below national levels.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with ROC College (part of United Response)
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to ROC College (part of United Response) from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. ROC College (part of United Response) 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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
Area Demand Pressure - Totnes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Totnes
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(3)
Special educational needs provision
ROC College (part of United Response) is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about ROC College (part of United Response)
What is ROC College (part of United Response)'s Ofsted rating?
ROC College (part of United Response)'s most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2025, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for ROC College (part of United Response)?
No fixed boundary. When ROC College (part of United Response) is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does ROC College (part of United Response) have specialist SEN provision?
ROC College (part of United Response) is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to ROC College (part of United Response)?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming ROC College (part of United Response) 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 ROC College (part of United Response)?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 ROC College (part of United Response)?
ROC College (part of United Response) is at The Boatshed, Unit C, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5AL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)