Atlantic Academy
Free schools · 242 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.1
Academy sponsor led
The Ilfracombe Church of England Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,016of 1,200 places
- Free school meals
- 27.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 178
- Ofsted
- Report card, 13 January 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Expected standardAchievement Expected standardAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Ilfracombe Arts College (URN 113513, until 5 April 2013).
What the data says
Of the 169 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Ilfracombe Church of England Academy in 2023, 24% stayed on in The Ilfracombe Church of England Academy’s own sixth form (Devon average 23%), 47% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
12% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 22% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
Among the 60 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 42% went to university (Devon 25%, England 37%), and 22% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
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 Devon and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 169 | 7,192 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 73% | 82% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 24% | 23% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 2% | 13% |
| — further education college | 47% | 56% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 3% |
| Employment | 9% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 12% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 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 | This school | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 60 | 5,824 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 75% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 42% | 25% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| Further education | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 25% | 41% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 20% | 15% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 47.9 | 45.4 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 51% | 46% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 74% | 66% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 10% | 37% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.06 | 4.02 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 29% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 36.0 | 32.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.6 | 49.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 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 | 178 | 100% | 88% | 15% | 22% | 80% |
| English Language | 178 | 100% | 89% | 19% | 20% | 70% |
| English Literature | 177 | 99% | 86% | 16% | 21% | 84% |
| Combined Science | 176 | 99% | 65% | 14% | 9% | 77% |
| History | 84 | 47% | 41% | 24% | 26% | 60% |
| Geography | 67 | 38% | 41% | 18% | 25% | 79% |
| Fine Art | 51 | 29% | 9% | 29% | 28% | 92% |
| Design and Technology | 41 | 23% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 63% |
| Photography | 39 | 22% | 6% | 15% | 19% | 100% |
| Spanish | 25 | 14% | 19% | 8% | 27% | 52% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 22 | 12% | 8% | 5% | 21% | 27% |
| Music | 18 | 10% | 5% | 33% | 33% | 83% |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 7% | 31% | 67% | 32% | 92% |
| French | 12 | 7% | 18% | 33% | 29% | 42% |
| Statistics | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 33 | 72% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 31 | 67% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 24 | 52% | — |
| Health Studies | 22 | 48% | — |
| Multimedia | 18 | 39% | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 1 | 2% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 122 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 46 | 3,028 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 36.81 | 34.55 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 28% | 15% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 17 | 37% | 23% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 24% | 17% |
| Biology | 11 | 24% | 20% |
| Mathematics | 10 | 22% | 31% |
| History | 8 | 17% | 13% |
| Physics | 8 | 17% | 12% |
| Geography | 7 | 15% | 10% |
| Photography | 7 | 15% | 3% |
| English Language and Literature | 7 | 15% | 2% |
| Sociology | 6 | 13% | 13% |
| Fine Art | 6 | 13% | 3% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 8 | 17% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 17% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Devon
Axe Valley Academy
Academy sponsor led · 741 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.2
Bideford College
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,455 pupils
71% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.7
Braunton Academy
Academy converter · 828 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.7
Chulmleigh Community College
Academy converter · 735 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.1
Clyst Vale Community College
Academy converter · sixth form · 944 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.5
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.