Brixham College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,012 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.7
Academy sponsor led
Torquay Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,472of 1,400 places
- Free school meals
- 35.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 238
- Ofsted
- Standards maintained, 8 January 2025Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Torquay Community College (URN 113524, until 1 September 2012).
What the data says
Of the 238 pupils who finished Year 11 at Torquay Academy in 2023, 45% stayed on in Torquay Academy’s own sixth form (Torbay average 38%), 33% went to a further education college and 6% started an apprenticeship.
Statistics is unusually popular at GCSE: 95% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
Among the 81 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 36% went to university (Torbay 24%, England 37%), and 13% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 47.6 against 46.1 across England and 47.4 in Torbay, with 49% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Torbay and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Torquay Academy | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 238 | 1,655 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 90% | 94% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 78% | 89% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 45% | 38% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 0% | 13% |
| — further education college | 33% | 47% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Torquay Academy | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 81 | 1,715 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 75% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 36% | 24% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 13% | 22% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 32% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 15% | 18% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Torquay Academy | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 47.6 | 47.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 49% | 50% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 73% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 8% | 26% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.97 | 4.13 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 29% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.0 | 30.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.3 | 52.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 10% | 6% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Literature | 240 | 100% | 86% | 26% | 21% | 73% |
| English Language | 237 | 100% | 89% | 17% | 20% | 63% |
| Mathematics | 237 | 100% | 88% | 18% | 22% | 83% |
| Combined Science | 230 | 97% | 65% | 17% | 9% | 73% |
| Statistics | 227 | 95% | 5% | 2% | 20% | 57% |
| Religious Studies | 222 | 93% | 31% | 9% | 32% | 44% |
| History | 127 | 53% | 41% | 19% | 26% | 56% |
| Geography | 90 | 38% | 41% | 13% | 25% | 54% |
| Applied Engineering | 39 | 16% | 0% | 0% | 18% | 26% |
| Art and Design | 32 | 13% | 7% | 31% | 24% | 91% |
| Business Studies | 31 | 13% | 18% | 16% | 20% | 52% |
| Design and Technology | 30 | 13% | 11% | 13% | 23% | 67% |
| Spanish | 18 | 8% | 19% | 28% | 27% | 83% |
| Media Studies | 18 | 8% | 4% | 39% | 20% | 89% |
| French | 13 | 5% | 18% | 23% | 29% | 77% |
| Polish | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports / Movement Science | 48 | 74% | — |
| Health Studies | 48 | 74% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 44 | 68% | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 39 | 60% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 27 | 42% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 27 | 42% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 22 | 34% | — |
| Dance: General | 15 | 23% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Torquay Academy | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 197 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 65 | 617 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 32.24 | 34.60 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 33 | 51% | 31% |
| English Literature | 21 | 32% | 11% |
| Biology | 19 | 29% | 20% |
| Physics | 15 | 23% | 12% |
| Media Studies | 13 | 20% | 4% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 17% | 17% |
| Further Mathematics | 9 | 14% | 5% |
| History | 9 | 14% | 13% |
| Geography | 8 | 12% | 10% |
| Economics | 6 | 9% | 13% |
| Art and Design | — | — | 1% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 22% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 20% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 11 | 17% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma at Level 3 | 8 | 12% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 8 | 12% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma at Level 3 | 8 | 12% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 6 | 9% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Torbay
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,062 pupils
96% stayed in education · Attainment 8 71.2
Paignton Academy
Academy converter · 1,568 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.9
St Cuthbert Mayne School
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 1,001 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.7
The Spires College
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,154 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.5
Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,087 pupils
95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 70.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.