The Lodestar Academy, Torquay
The Lodestar Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Torquay, part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Lodestar Academy in detail
Getting a place at The Lodestar Academy
Across Torbay, 80% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 93% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Torbay lodged 117 appeals against secondary school offers; 96 reached a hearing and 20 succeeded (20.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Lodestar Academy are Torquay Academy (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.7); St Cuthbert Mayne School (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 42); Torquay Girls' Grammar School (0.9 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 68.4); and Torquay Boys' Grammar School (1.1 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 70).
Torquay AcademySt Cuthbert Mayne SchoolTorquay Girls' Grammar SchoolTorquay Boys' Grammar School
The trust
The Lodestar Academy 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.
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 47% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 47% to a further education college and 5% into work.
Who goes there
76.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 37 pupils (97.4%) received SEN support and 1 (2.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Torre Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Barton Hill Way (se-bound), 110 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Lodestar Academy are Lift Barton Hill (0.2 miles), Watcombe Primary School (0.8 miles), Torre Church of England Academy (0.9 miles) and St Margaret's Academy (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Lift Barton HillWatcombe Primary SchoolTorre Church of England AcademySt Margaret's Academy
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
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 November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
76.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Lodestar Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Lodestar Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Lodestar 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 16 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
68%
Available places
38 pupils
56 places
18 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Torquay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Torquay
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,759
Applications
1,279
Got 1st preference
79.7%
Got preferred school
92.9%
All secondary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
1
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
38
Total Pupils
18
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
3.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,421
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Lodestar Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Lodestar Academy
What is The Lodestar Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Lodestar Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2020 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for The Lodestar Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Lodestar Academy is oversubscribed, Torbay allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Lodestar Academy?
The Lodestar Academy has around 38 pupils on roll. 76% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to The Lodestar Academy?
Apply through Torbay's coordinated admissions process, naming The Lodestar Academy 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 The Lodestar Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 16 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 6 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 The Lodestar Academy?
The Lodestar Academy is at South Parks Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 8JE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)