Chulmleigh Community College

About Chulmleigh Community College

Chulmleigh Community College is a school that parents in North Devon clearly want for their children. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 228 applications for 144 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.58, meaning nearly six in ten applicants missed out. Of those 228 applications, 176 were first-preference choices, and 142 of those families secured a place. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation. The school is a mixed, non-denominational secondary for pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form. It currently has 742 pupils on roll, just below its capacity of 750, and 19.9 per cent of students are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average. The headteacher is Neil Payne, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in October 2023, confirmed that it remains Good and is improving.

Academically, Chulmleigh stands out in Devon. Its Progress 8 score of 0.86 is well above average nationally and ranks it first among the six secondary schools in North Devon, and second across the whole local authority. For context, the Devon LA average Progress 8 score is -0.09, so Chulmleigh’s pupils are making significantly more progress than their peers elsewhere in the county. The Attainment 8 score is 55.3, and 82.6 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, with 66.5 per cent reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is high at 90.3 per cent, and the EBacc average point score is 5.41. In its most recent graded inspection in 2015, the school received Good for both overall effectiveness and leadership and management, and the 2023 ungraded inspection noted that the school remains Good and is improving.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, music rooms, art studios, and a library, plus extensive playing fields. Sports on offer include rugby, netball, swimming, rowing, and athletics, and there are clubs for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, debate, and eco club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so families living within the catchment area or with a strong connection to the school should apply early. Chulmleigh is a strong fit for families who value academic progress and a broad extracurricular offer, and who are happy with a secondary that finishes at 16.

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