Tavistock College

Tavistock College is currently rated as 'Requires Improvement' overall, having made progress from its previous inadequate inspection grade. The school has notable strengths in behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership, as evidenced by pupils' pride in their school and calm behaviour. However, there are still gaps in the quality of education, particularly in ensuring that the curriculum effectively meets the learning needs of all pupils. While the support for pupils with special educational needs is effective in some areas, challenges remain in implementing strategies consistently across the school.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud of their school and engaged in learning.
• Behaviour is orderly and calm, contributing to a positive school environment.
• Effective careers guidance helps pupils make informed decisions about their futures.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs in certain subjects.
• Thorough reading support to help pupils improve literacy.
• Well-structured curriculum in the sixth form with strong subject knowledge from staff.
• Good governance providing both challenge and support to the leadership.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent understanding among teachers of pupil knowledge hinders effective teaching.
• Reading for enjoyment initiatives are not uniformly implemented across all year groups.

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 Tavistock College attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.4% 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, 9.0% of pupils at Tavistock College 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 Tavistock College had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% 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, 16.8% of pupils at Tavistock College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% 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 2024–25 Tavistock College received £8,214 and spent £7,859 for each of its 1,270 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £415,000 (£327 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,662 and spending £8,326 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 Tavistock · Devon local authority: places and applications

Tavistock College is part of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Milton Abbot Primary School Tavistock
• Lydford Primary School Okehampton
• Bridestowe Primary School Okehampton
• Boasley Cross Community Primary School Okehampton
• Okehampton College Okehampton
• The Promise School Okehampton
• Okehampton Primary School and Foundation Unit Okehampton
• St James Church of England Primary and Nursery School Okehampton
• Northlew and Ashbury Parochial Church of England Primary School Okehampton
• South Tawton Primary School Okehampton

What is Tavistock College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Tavistock College is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Tavistock College last inspected by Ofsted?

Tavistock College was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Tavistock College have?

Tavistock College has 1,200 pupils on roll.

What age range does Tavistock College cover?

Tavistock College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Tavistock College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.4, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Tavistock College?

Tavistock College is at Crowndale Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8DD.