Brunel School

Brunel School is a special school for pupils with education, health and care plans, most with social, emotional and mental health needs, and it has undergone significant leadership and trust changes since 2023. Inspectors found the school performing at the expected standard across achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils describe an inclusive, safe culture where they feel understood and valued, with bespoke support helping them achieve from often difficult starting points. The main area needing attention is attendance and behaviour. Many pupils arrive with low attendance or non-attendance, and although leaders have secured rapid improvement and reduced serious behaviour incidents, provision is not yet consistently applied by all staff. Some pupils still experience inconsistent challenge, boundaries, learning behaviours and discriminatory behaviour, which can disrupt learning. Leaders should continue to embed consistent practice so the curriculum and pastoral offer have maximum impact. Notable strengths include an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, a strong reading focus, a rich wider and personal development offer, and tenacious leadership that has rebuilt the school culture and improved relationships with families, agencies and the trust. The school is part of Special Partnership Trust and makes use of alternative provision to complement its offer.

Strengths

• Inclusive and safe school culture where pupils feel understood and belong
• Strong leadership tenacity and resilience in driving improvement
• Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with progression from varied starting points
• Effective reading and writing focus, including a Reading Charter
• Successful wider curriculum including humanities, art, PE, outdoor learning, cooking and digital skills
• Comprehensive and accurate system to identify and meet pupils' needs, with EHC plans at the heart
• Strong personal development and PSHE programme covering statutory requirements and healthy relationships
• Outdoor education and enrichment opportunities that build engagement and life skills
• Effective careers education and work experience leading to post-16 placements
• Rapid improvement in attendance overall and significant decrease in serious behaviour incidents
• Effective safeguarding culture with standards met
• Good use of additional funding and external agencies, especially for cared-for children and those at risk of exploitation
• Staff feel supported and valued; staff development increasingly targeted and bespoke
• Pupil voice influences improvement, including the Prosper Points system
• Positive relationships with parents, carers and external agencies

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance and behaviour require attention
• Staff approach to securing positive attitudes to learning is inconsistent
• Some staff responses, challenge or boundaries are not swift or effective enough
• Learning behaviours and respectful attitudes do not always meet leaders' high standards
• Discriminatory behaviour still occurs, although becoming less common
• Inconsistent practice can limit curriculum implementation and pupil interactions
• Need to embed consistent staff expertise across education and pastoral offer
• High historical absence and persistent absence rates remain a concern despite improvement

In 2024–25 pupils at Brunel School attended 57.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 87.5% 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, 95.8% of pupils at Brunel 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 Brunel School had 5.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 Brunel School had 64 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; multi-sensory impairment; 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 Brunel School received £39,502 and spent £44,671 for each of its 48 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £97,000 (£2,023 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Special Partnership Trust, income was £31,284 and spending £31,030 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 Paignton · Torbay local authority: places and applications

Brunel School is part of Special Partnership Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Orchard Manor School Dawlish
• Mill Water School Budleigh Salterton
• Castlebridge School Tavistock
• The Lampard Community School Barnstaple
• Bosvena School Bodmin
• Doubletrees School Par
• Pencalenick School Truro
• Curnow School Redruth
• Nancealverne School Penzance

What is Brunel School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brunel School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Brunel School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brunel School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Brunel School have?

Brunel School has 64 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brunel School cover?

Brunel School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Where is Brunel School?

Brunel School is at 170b Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2AL.