St Margaret's Academy

About St Margaret's Academy

St Margaret's Academy in Torbay holds a Good rating from its most recent graded inspection in 2013, and an ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits at 58%. That is just below the Torbay local authority average of 61%, placing the school 19th out of 29 primary schools in the area. In national terms, it ranks in the bottom half of all primaries, around the 61st percentile. The school’s reading scores are a relative strength, with 75% of pupils meeting the expected standard and 31% reaching the higher standard, while maths sees 69% at expected and 8% at higher. Writing is similar, with 71% at expected and 10% at higher. Only 3% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects.

The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available in the data, so it is hard to say how much value it adds beyond raw attainment. However, the reading average score of 105 and maths average of 102 are both above the national baseline of 100, suggesting pupils are generally performing at or above the level expected for their age. The school serves a relatively disadvantaged cohort, with 26.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. In its previous inspection in 2010, the school was rated Outstanding overall, with Outstanding leadership and management and Outstanding early years provision. The drop to Good in 2013 and the subsequent ungraded inspection maintaining that Good rating suggests a stable but not exceptional current performance compared with its own history.

St Margaret's Academy is a mixed primary for ages 4 to 11, with 398 pupils on a capacity of 420, so it is nearly full. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 70 applications for 40 places, a ratio of 1.75 applicants per place, with 39 first-preference offers made. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a forest school, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, gymnasium and a chapel. Sports include swimming, cricket, gymnastics and netball, and clubs range from art and drama to gardening and film club. SEND provision is extensive, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language issues, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and a dedicated SEN unit. This school would suit families in Torbay who value a well-equipped primary with strong SEND support and a stable Good rating, though those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to look at higher-ranked local schools like Hayes School or Roselands Primary.

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