Shiphay Learning Academy, Torquay
Shiphay Learning Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Torquay, part of Riviera Education Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 17 schools in Torquay with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Torbay (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Shiphay Learning Academy in detail
Shiphay Learning Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A warm welcome to Shiphay Learning Academy from Headteacher Kate Lee . We are very much a 'family' school; we cultivate and nurture our Core Values of Respect , Contribution , Creativeness and Aspiration in all our activities and relationships for all our children and staff."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Shiphay Learning Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 74% in Torbay and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Shiphay Learning Academy
For September 2026 entry, 34 families put Shiphay Learning Academy as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Shiphay Learning Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Shiphay Learning Academy are Sherwell Valley Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 85% maths); Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 68% reading, 64% maths); Torre Church of England Academy (0.9 miles, Good, 91% reading, 86% maths); and Lift Barton Hill (1.2 miles, Good, 82% reading, 76% maths).
Shiphay Learning Academy's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Sherwell Valley Primary SchoolOur Lady of the Angels Catholic Primary SchoolTorre Church of England AcademyLift Barton Hill
The trust
Shiphay Learning Academy is one of 3 schools run by Riviera Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
124 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Shiphay Learning Academy (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Asian (6%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Torre Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Andrews Church (sw-bound), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 111 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Torbay (245).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Shiphay Learning Academy issued 13 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Shiphay Learning Academy are Torquay Boys' Grammar School (0.4 miles), Torquay Girls' Grammar School (0.5 miles) and Torquay Academy (1 mile).
Torquay Boys' Grammar SchoolTorquay Girls' Grammar SchoolTorquay Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Since the previous inspection, the school and trust have taken significant steps to improve key aspects of the school. They, alongside those responsible for governance, are determined for pupils to do well, including those who are disadvantaged. The school has improved the quality of education for all through the development of an ambitious curriculum that is working well. Staff set, and pupils reach, the high expectations of what they can achieve, starting in the early years.
Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful. They take pleasure in greeting adults and holding doors open for their friends. Pupils are happy and rightly proud to be part of the school community. The school builds positive relationships with pupils and knows them well. This creates a nurturing place to learn where pupils grow in confidence. They benefit from high-quality pastoral support. This helps pupils to feel safe and welcome.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Across subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn with precision. This begins in early years where children get off to a strong start. Through careful checking, staff know what is working well across subjects and what needs further development. As a result, the school has a clear understanding of how well the curriculum is being implemented.
In a minority of subjects, the school has made recent changes to the curriculum to help pupils learn more over time. This means these subjects are in their infancy. While the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember is clear, the teaching of the new curriculum in these areas is in its early stages. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so do not yet build their knowledge well enough.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its April 2022 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement), Early years (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
17.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
124 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 73% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 77% to 82% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.0
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
15
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Shiphay Learning Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Shiphay Learning Academy.
- Achieve4All - Sherwell Valley690m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Shiphay Learning Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Shiphay Learning Academy is in Torbay; for families living there:
Apply to Torbay for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 10 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 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
Your chances of a place at Shiphay Learning Academy
Will you get a place at Shiphay Learning Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Shiphay Learning Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Shiphay Learning Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Shiphay Learning Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Torbay, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Shiphay Learning Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Torbay got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
384 pupils
420 places
36 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Torquay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Torquay
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,357
Applications
1,000
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
54
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
18.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
373
Total Pupils
199
Boys
174
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
17.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,758
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,964
Per pupil
£2114k
Total funding
£105k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
9.7%
Persistent absence
349
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Shiphay Learning Academy
Questions parents ask about Shiphay Learning Academy
What are SATs results like at Shiphay Learning Academy?
Of the pupils at Shiphay Learning Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Shiphay Learning Academy's Ofsted rating?
Shiphay Learning Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Shiphay Learning Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Shiphay Learning Academy is oversubscribed, Torbay allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Shiphay Learning Academy?
Shiphay Learning Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Shiphay Learning Academy?
Classes at Shiphay Learning Academy average 24 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Shiphay Learning Academy?
Shiphay Learning Academy has around 373 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Shiphay Learning Academy?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Shiphay Learning Academy in 2024/25. 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Shiphay Learning Academy?
Apply through Torbay's coordinated admissions process, naming Shiphay Learning Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Shiphay Learning Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Shiphay Learning Academy: Achieve4All - Sherwell Valley (690m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Shiphay Learning Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 10 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Shiphay Learning Academy?
Shiphay Learning Academy is at Exe Hill, Shiphay, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 7NF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)