ACE Tiverton Special School

ACE Tiverton Special School offers a nurturing environment where pupils with complex needs receive the care and support necessary to thrive. The staff have high expectations for student conduct and learning, and pupils generally enjoy their time at school, showing eagerness to succeed. The school is part of the Transforming Futures Multi-Academy Trust and has made substantial efforts to cater to the unique challenges faced by its students. However, the school acknowledges areas that require improvement, particularly in how pupils connect their learning across subjects and the need for more robust assessment systems to strengthen retention of knowledge.

Strengths

• Welcoming environment that helps pupils settle into school life.
• Strong pastoral support for pupils and their families.
• Effective management of pupil behaviour with high expectations.
• Focus on preparing pupils for adulthood through various activities.
• Ambitious curriculum aimed at meeting the diverse needs of students.
• Access to excellent resources and facilities for learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils struggle to link their learning across subjects.
• Assessment systems are not fully established to check knowledge retention.

In 2024–25 pupils at ACE Tiverton Special School attended 85.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 33.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 12.2% of pupils at ACE Tiverton Special School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 ACE Tiverton Special School had 6.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 ACE Tiverton Special School had 117 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: speech, language and communication needs; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 ACE Tiverton Special School received £28,652 and spent £28,207 for each of its 115 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £199,000 (£1,728 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Reach South Academy Trust, income was £10,522 and spending £10,515 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 Tiverton · Devon local authority: places and applications

ACE Tiverton Special School is part of Reach South Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Thomas Hall School Exeter
• Courtlands School Plymouth
• Mount Tamar School Plymouth
• Goosewell Primary Academy Plymouth
• Pilgrim Primary Academy Plymouth
• Stuart Road Primary Academy Plymouth
• Drake Primary Academy Plymouth
• Stoke Damerel Primary Academy Plymouth
• Millbay Academy Plymouth
• Morice Town Primary Academy Plymouth

What is ACE Tiverton Special School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for ACE Tiverton Special School is Good, from an inspection in February 2024.

When was ACE Tiverton Special School last inspected by Ofsted?

ACE Tiverton Special School was last inspected in February 2024.

How many pupils does ACE Tiverton Special School have?

ACE Tiverton Special School has 117 pupils on roll.

What age range does ACE Tiverton Special School cover?

ACE Tiverton Special School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are ACE Tiverton Special School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 10.6, and 11% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is ACE Tiverton Special School?

ACE Tiverton Special School is at Orchard Way, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 5HB.