Schools in Torbay

39 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Torbay

Primary

Offered their first choice 94.2%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 88.1% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 98.9%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,000
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 94.2% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 98.9% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 6.1 points higher than in 2016, when it was 88.1%.

The council's primary schools between them had 1,357 places for 1,000 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 79.8%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 87.8% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 92.9%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,279
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 79.8% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 92.9% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 8.0 points lower than in 2016, when it was 87.8%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 1,759 places for 1,279 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Torbay lodged 119 appeals about a school place.

96 of them were heard by a panel and 20 succeeded, which is about 21 in every 100 heard.

The other 23 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Brixham College Brixham	0.86	-	Needs attention Ofsted report card (current framework)
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy Brixham	1.43	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Paignton Academy Paignton	0.93	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
St Cuthbert Mayne School Torquay	0.40	-	Not judged Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
The Spires College Torquay	1.03	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Torquay Academy Torquay	1.37	-	Standards maintained Ofsted ungraded inspection
Torquay Boys' Grammar School Torquay	1.30	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)
Torquay Girls' Grammar School Torquay	1.29	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Torbay by first preferences per place
Schools in TQ1 (12)
Schools in TQ2 (10)
Schools in TQ3 (6)
Schools in TQ4 (5)
Schools in TQ5 (7)
What data we hold