The Spires College

The Spires College has demonstrated that it continues to provide a good education for its students. Pupils express pride in their school, feeling safe and supported, while parents also recognize the school's role in fostering both academic and personal growth. With a well-planned curriculum that accommodates pupils' various needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school showcases an effective approach to learning. Positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute to a respectful atmosphere, with a strong commitment to improving attendance, especially among disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils feel happy and safe at school.
• The school has high expectations for both staff and students.
• Leaders have designed a clear and ambitious curriculum.
• Teaching quality is supported by current educational research.
• Pupils receive effective support to catch up when falling behind.
• The school has a strong focus on reading with effective phonics support.
• SEND support is effective, and leaders quickly identify pupils' needs.
• The curriculum for personal, social, and health education is well delivered.

Areas for Improvement

• Some parents of pupils with SEND are unclear about the support provided.
• Disadvantaged pupils have lower attendance than their peers.

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 The Spires College attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.9% 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, 10.7% of pupils at The Spires College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 The Spires College had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.6% 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, 19.6% of pupils at The Spires College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 20 pupils.

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 The Spires College received £8,871 and spent £9,173 for each of its 1,154 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,361,000 (£1,179 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 Torquay · Torbay local authority: places and applications

What is The Spires College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Spires College is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was The Spires College last inspected by Ofsted?

The Spires College was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does The Spires College have?

The Spires College has 1,154 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Spires College cover?

The Spires College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Spires College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.1, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Spires College?

The Spires College is at Westlands Lane, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3PE.