Brixham College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,012 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.7
Foundation school
The Spires College
- Pupils on roll
- 1,154of 1,304 places
- Free school meals
- 31.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 183
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 16 November 2022Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 205 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Spires College in 2023, 28% stayed on in The Spires College’s own sixth form (Torbay average 38%), 58% went to a further education college and 1% started an apprenticeship.
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 20% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
Among the 60 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 32% went to university (Torbay 24%, England 37%), and 22% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
A level grades average C-, well below the England average of B-. The largest A level subjects are Mathematics, History and Psychology.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Torbay and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Spires College | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 205 | 1,655 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 91% | 94% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 86% | 89% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 28% | 38% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 0% | 13% |
| — further education college | 58% | 47% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 4% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Spires College | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 60 | 1,715 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 32% | 24% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 22% | 22% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 30% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 18% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Spires College | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 44.5 | 47.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 51% | 50% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 61% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 27% | 26% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.88 | 4.13 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 31% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 37.3 | 30.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.7 | 52.7 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 9% | 6% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 181 | 99% | 88% | 22% | 22% | 72% |
| English Language | 180 | 98% | 89% | 17% | 20% | 67% |
| English Literature | 176 | 96% | 86% | 13% | 21% | 69% |
| Combined Science | 159 | 87% | 65% | 10% | 9% | 61% |
| History | 107 | 58% | 41% | 15% | 26% | 53% |
| Geography | 74 | 40% | 41% | 23% | 25% | 54% |
| Fine Art | 50 | 27% | 9% | 18% | 28% | 72% |
| Physical Education | 43 | 23% | 11% | 12% | 24% | 47% |
| Computer Science | 42 | 23% | 13% | 19% | 30% | 57% |
| Spanish | 42 | 23% | 19% | 26% | 27% | 74% |
| Business Studies | 39 | 21% | 18% | 5% | 20% | 56% |
| Psychology | 38 | 21% | 3% | 24% | 22% | 63% |
| Photography | 37 | 20% | 6% | 19% | 19% | 84% |
| Design and Technology | 29 | 16% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 55% |
| Film Studies | 17 | 9% | 1% | 12% | 20% | 59% |
| French | 16 | 9% | 18% | 6% | 29% | 88% |
| Chemistry | 15 | 8% | 23% | 67% | 47% | 93% |
| Biology | 14 | 8% | 23% | 64% | 45% | 100% |
| Physics | 14 | 8% | 23% | 79% | 46% | 100% |
| Textiles | 7 | 4% | 2% | 43% | 27% | 71% |
| Italian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 1% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music performance: Group | 59 | 100% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 22 | 55% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 14 | 35% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 14 | 35% | — |
| Sports Studies | 14 | 35% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Spires College | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 106 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 40 | 617 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.02 | 34.60 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 10% | 19% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 13 | 33% | 31% |
| History | 10 | 25% | 13% |
| Psychology | 10 | 25% | 23% |
| Physical Education | 10 | 25% | 3% |
| Biology | 8 | 20% | 20% |
| English Literature | 8 | 20% | 11% |
| Geography | 7 | 18% | 10% |
| Philosophy | 7 | 18% | 1% |
| Physics | 6 | 15% | 12% |
| Film Studies | — | — | 2% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 33% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 10 | 25% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 9 | 23% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 9 | 23% | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 18% | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Torbay
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,062 pupils
96% stayed in education · Attainment 8 71.2
Paignton Academy
Academy converter · 1,568 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.9
St Cuthbert Mayne School
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 1,001 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.7
Torquay Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,472 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.6
Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,087 pupils
95% stayed in education · Attainment 8 70.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.