Braunton Academy

About Braunton Academy

Braunton Academy's headline Progress 8 score of -0.22 places it below the Devon local authority average of -0.09, meaning that, on average, pupils here make less academic progress between Year 7 and Year 11 than their peers across the county. That gap is modest but consistent: the school ranks 24th out of 43 secondary schools in Devon, and sits in the bottom half nationally. Digging into the breakdown, the picture is mixed. Progress in maths (-0.07) is close to the national average, and open subjects (-0.03) are essentially in line. The drag comes from English, where progress is -0.6, and from the EBacc subjects overall (-0.27). Attainment 8 sits at 48.9, and just over half of pupils (53.1%) achieve a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, judged it Good overall, with leadership and management also rated Good — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2014.

On the parent view survey, which ran from September 2024 to September 2025, 60% of the 202 respondents would recommend the school. There are some bright spots: 94% of parents agree their child can take part in clubs and activities, and 76% agree there is a good range of subjects available. However, the survey also reveals significant concerns. Only 33% of parents agree that SEND children receive the support they need, with 64% disagreeing. Just 38% agree that concerns are dealt with properly, and 43% agree that the school makes them aware of what their child will learn. Behaviour is another area of division: 54% agree pupils are well behaved, but 39% disagree. The school has a relatively high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 14.2%, and its capacity is exactly matched to its current pupil roll of 840.

Braunton Academy is a secondary school for ages 11 to 16, with no sixth form. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 188 applications for 162 places, with 161 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a theatre, swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, and a chapel. Sports on offer range from rugby and netball to martial arts and dance, and there are clubs including art, orchestra, debate, coding, choir, and book club. The school's SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families weighing up options in North Devon, this is a school where academic outcomes are slightly below the local average, but where the range of extracurricular opportunities is a genuine strength — provided parents are comfortable with the mixed feedback on communication and SEND support.

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