Schools in Torbay
45 open schools · Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and admission criteria · best primary schools · best secondary schools
Torbay has 44 state schools: 31 primary, 8 secondary. Between them they teach around 19,792 pupils. 38 have enough published data for a score, averaging 4.9 out of 10, and 5 score 8 or above.
11 have a sixth form. 20 take children from age three or under. 16 have a religious character, which usually means the school sets its own admissions criteria rather than the council's. 3 are selective and set an entrance test. How the score works.
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Torbay covers several towns — jump straight to the schools in yours.
Undersubscribed schools rated Good or Outstanding
These schools didn't fill on first preference in the latest admissions year, despite an Ofsted rating of Good or Outstanding — worth a look if you're chasing the same handful of famous names everyone else applies to.
How places are allocated in Torbay
Primary schools: 'Many schools operate an admissions catchment area' giving higher priority to residents within it. (source)
Most schools use the local authority's default scheme rather than a school-specific catchment map — see each school's page for its own designated/catchment area where one is published.
Torbay entrance test format
One shared GL Assessment test for the three Torbay grammar schools (Churston Ferrers, Torquay Boys', Torquay Girls'), sat on the same date at whichever school you register with: Two papers of roughly 50-60 minutes each, on the same day: 1. English — multiple-choice: reading comprehension, spelling, grammar. 2. Maths — multiple-choice, Key Stage 2-based. Scores are age-standardised and shared between the Torbay selective schools so each can apply its own admissions policy to the same result. Results arrive in October before the 31 October application deadline.
Key dates
| Entry year | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 2028 | Application deadline | 2027-10-31 |
| Sept 2028 | Primary application deadline | 2028-01-15 |
| Sept 2028 | Offer day | 2028-03-01 |
| Sept 2028 | Primary offer day | 2028-04-17 |
| Sept 2027 | Registration opens | 2026-03-01 (passed) |
| Sept 2027 | Registration closes | 2026-09-04 (passed) |
| Sept 2027 | Test date | 2026-09-19 |
| Sept 2027 | Results released | 2026-10-12 |
| Sept 2027 | Application deadline | 2026-10-31 |
| Sept 2027 | Primary application deadline | 2027-01-15 |
| Sept 2027 | Offer day | 2027-03-01 |
| Sept 2027 | Primary offer day | 2027-04-16 |
| Sept 2026 | Application deadline | 2025-10-31 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Primary application deadline | 2026-01-15 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Offer day | 2026-03-02 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Primary offer day | 2026-04-16 (passed) |
Out-of-area applications
Torbay's three grammar schools (Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Torquay Boys' Grammar School, Torquay Girls' Grammar School) use a coordinated scheme: the same standardised test sat at the same time at each school, with the schools sharing results between them — so your child sits the test once at one Torbay school and can be considered by the others. Children living outside Torbay can register (the schools draw from across south Devon). Register with a school using its Test Registration Form — historically due by mid-July of Year 5 (preferred) with a final deadline of midday in early September, and the test in mid/late September of Year 6. Apply via your home LA's Common Application Form by 31 October. Check each school's oversubscription criteria for distance/catchment effects.
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