Coombeshead Academy

Coombeshead Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, achieving an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good.' The school fosters a positive atmosphere where pupils feel welcomed and supported, exhibiting strong relationships between staff and students. Leaders have invested in developing an ambitious curriculum that effectively builds pupils' knowledge across subjects. While the sixth form offers a broad range of qualifications, there are still areas for improvement in student engagement and continuous attendance in Year 13. Overall, the school demonstrates a commitment to enhancing both academic achievement and personal development.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Ambitious and well-planned curriculum
• Effective support for students with special educational needs
• Well-structured personal development programme
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities
• High expectations for reading and diverse text exposure
• Strong safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment gaps in a few subjects leading to knowledge deficiencies
• Some sixth-form students not fully benefiting from provided experiences

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 Coombeshead Academy attended 90.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.4% 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, 8.1% of pupils at Coombeshead Academy 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 Coombeshead Academy had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% 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, 19.5% of pupils at Coombeshead Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 Coombeshead Academy received £8,232 and spent £8,148 for each of its 874 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £489,000 (£560 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Education South West, income was £7,824 and spending £7,754 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 Newton Abbot · Devon local authority: places and applications

Coombeshead Academy is part of Education South West, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• South Devon UTC Newton Abbot
• Teign School Newton Abbot
• Kingsteignton School Newton Abbot
• Rydon Primary School Newton Abbot
• King Edward VI Community College Totnes
• Christow Primary School Exeter
• Dartmouth Academy Dartmouth
• Wynstream Primary School Academy Exeter
• Blackawton Primary School Totnes
• Stoke Fleming Community Primary School Dartmouth

What is Coombeshead Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Coombeshead Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2023.

When was Coombeshead Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Coombeshead Academy was last inspected in April 2023.

How many pupils does Coombeshead Academy have?

Coombeshead Academy has 870 pupils on roll.

What age range does Coombeshead Academy cover?

Coombeshead Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Coombeshead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.0, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Coombeshead Academy?

Coombeshead Academy is at Coombeshead Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 1PT.