South Molton Community College

South Molton Community College is performing well overall. Pupils enjoy attending, feel safe and know they can talk to an adult about worries; those experiencing difficulties, especially with mental health, receive high-quality support. Leaders have raised expectations for achievement and behaviour, and pupils have largely responded: conduct and attendance have improved, bullying is uncommon, and the school has a broad, ambitious curriculum with more pupils studying a language at key stage 4 and following the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. The school’s curriculum identifies the knowledge pupils need at each stage and sequences it logically, and teachers generally check understanding and correct misconceptions. Pupils benefit from a thoughtfully designed enrichment programme, leadership roles, and PSHE that reflects local risks and helps them understand healthy relationships, substance misuse and online safety. Governors know the school well and provide effective support, staff receive appropriate training, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. However, teaching does not always explain learning activities clearly, particularly for some pupils with SEND, and some pupils lose curriculum time through poor attendance or removal from lessons, leaving gaps in knowledge. Some parents and pupils are also dissatisfied with communication and the handling of concerns. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a mixed 11–16 foundation secondary comprehensive with 669 pupils on roll and uses alternative provision. Inspectors found a school that has rapidly improved curriculum, behaviour standards and attendance, with an accurate view of its strengths and the areas needing further work.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and are well supported, including for mental health difficulties.
• Raised expectations have led to improved behaviour and attendance.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and logically sequenced.
• More pupils now study a language at key stage 4 and access the English Baccalaureate.
• Teachers check understanding and correct misconceptions.
• The enrichment programme is thoughtfully designed and all pupils take part.
• Leadership roles develop pupils’ character, public speaking and responsibility.
• PSHE is age-appropriate and reflects local risks.
• Pupils learn about apprenticeships, local employment and university options.
• Leaders have rapidly improved curriculum, behaviour and attendance and know the school’s priorities.
• Governors understand their roles and provide effective support and resources.
• Staff receive the training they need, and safeguarding is effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching sometimes does not clearly explain learning activities, so pupils, including those with SEND, are unclear about what to do.
• Some pupils have significant gaps in knowledge because they do not attend well.
• Some pupils miss curriculum time when removed from lessons for behaviour or because of poor attendance.
• Some parents and pupils are dissatisfied with how concerns are handled and lack confidence that issues will be resolved.
• Some parents and carers feel the school is not responsive enough and are less positive about recent changes.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at South Molton Community College attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.3% of pupils at South Molton Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 South Molton Community College had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.7% of pupils at South Molton Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 South Molton Community College received £8,186 and spent £8,415 for each of its 657 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £861,000 (-£1,310 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in South Molton · Devon local authority: places and applications

What is South Molton Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Molton Community College is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was South Molton Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

South Molton Community College was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does South Molton Community College have?

South Molton Community College has 656 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Molton Community College cover?

South Molton Community College for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are South Molton Community College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.4, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is South Molton Community College?

South Molton Community College is at Old Alswear Road, South Molton, Devon, EX36 4LA.