Torquay Boys' Grammar School

Torquay Boys' Grammar School is performing well overall. Pupils achieve highly, especially at key stage 4, where outcomes are well above national averages and disadvantaged pupils often do significantly better than disadvantaged pupils nationally. Attendance is high, behaviour is exemplary, and pupils feel safe, known and valued. Inclusion is a particular strength: staff identify barriers early, pastoral care has been strengthened, and pupils with SEND or disadvantage are well supported. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is part of a small trust and has had a new headteacher since September 2024. Strengths also include a broad, ambitious curriculum with unusual subject choices and the International Baccalaureate, extensive enrichment, strong pastoral and mental health provision, and a wide range of pupil leadership opportunities. The sixth form prepares students well for higher education, and most students achieve their first-choice university places. Governance is supportive and challenging, and staff report high levels of support for workload and wellbeing. However, teaching is not consistently effective. In some lessons, teachers do not check pupils' understanding well enough, feedback is inconsistent, and some pupils are passive. Leaders know this but their improvement systems sometimes lack rigour, and teaching quality is not reviewed robustly enough to eliminate weaker practice. Careers encounters with employers are not wide-ranging for younger pupils, and some post-16 published outcomes, including progress, are closer to national averages. Next steps focus on sharper monitoring, consistently strong formative assessment, and better employer engagement for younger pupils.

Strengths

• High achievement at key stage 4, with outcomes well above national averages in several subjects.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve significantly above disadvantaged pupils nationally and make strong progress.
• High numbers of sixth-form students achieve top grades and progress to prestigious universities.
• Pupils are confident, articulate learners who use sophisticated vocabulary and apply knowledge creatively.
• Attendance is high, supported by strong pastoral care and a strong sense of belonging.
• Behaviour is exemplary, with rare disruption and respectful, mature conduct.
• Inclusion is strong: staff identify barriers early and support pupils with SEND and disadvantage well.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious, including less common subjects and the International Baccalaureate.
• Pastoral care and mental health support are strengths, and pupils feel well cared for.
• Pupils engage in ethical debates and develop understanding of fundamental British values.
• Extra-curricular provision is extensive, with clubs, music, sport, drama and house activities.
• The careers programme has been strengthened, particularly for sixth-form university applications.
• Governance provides effective support and challenge, and staff workload and wellbeing are well supported.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is not consistently effective across the school.
• Teachers do not always check pupils' understanding during lessons.
• Pupils do not always receive feedback or opportunities to correct and improve their work.
• Some pupils are passive recipients of information rather than active learners.
• Leaders' improvement systems sometimes lack rigour and precision.
• The quality of teaching is not reviewed regularly or robustly enough to address weaker practice.
• Professional learning has not yet led to consistently effective classroom practice.
• Careers encounters with employers are not wide-ranging for all younger pupils, and key stage 4 work experience is not expected.
• Some post-16 published outcomes, including progress from starting points, are closer to national averages.
• Inconsistencies in teaching quality are also apparent in the sixth form.

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 Torquay Boys' Grammar School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 6.9% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Torquay Boys' Grammar School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Torquay Boys' Grammar School had 16.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% 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, 2.7% of pupils at Torquay Boys' Grammar School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.5% 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 2024–25 Torquay Boys' Grammar School received £7,391 and spent £7,375 for each of its 1,100 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £15,000 (£14 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Torquay Boys' Grammar School, income was £7,765 and spending £7,812 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Torquay · Torbay local authority: places and applications

Torquay Boys' Grammar School is part of Torquay Boys' Grammar School, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Torquay Academy Torquay

What is Torquay Boys' Grammar School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Torquay Boys' Grammar School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Torquay Boys' Grammar School last inspected by Ofsted?

Torquay Boys' Grammar School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Torquay Boys' Grammar School have?

Torquay Boys' Grammar School has 1,087 pupils on roll.

What age range does Torquay Boys' Grammar School cover?

Torquay Boys' Grammar School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Torquay Boys' Grammar School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 70.0, and 95% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Torquay Boys' Grammar School?

Torquay Boys' Grammar School is at Shiphay Manor Drive, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 7EL.