Torquay Girls' Grammar School
85%
Capacity
1,021
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Torquay Girls' Grammar School
Torquay Girls' Grammar School sits in a different league to the typical Torbay secondary. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.4, meaning most pupils in the area achieve below the national expected level. This school posts a +0.37, a swing of nearly eight-tenths of a grade per subject. That puts it first out of all nine secondaries in Torbay, and comfortably inside the top quarter of schools nationally. It is also the only school in the local authority rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The gap between this school and the LA average is not marginal; it is a chasm. For a family comparing options in the South West, the headline message is clear: this is a selective grammar school delivering results that are well above what most local pupils experience.
Those headline results hold up under the bonnet. At Key Stage 4, 97.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 90.3% hit the stronger grade 5 benchmark. The Attainment 8 score sits at 68.9, which translates to roughly a high grade 6 across a pupil's best eight subjects. The EBacc average point score of 6.66 confirms strong performance across the core academic subjects, and 86.5% of pupils entered the full EBacc suite. At A-level, the school's value added score of 0.27 is rated 'Above average', and the average points per entry of 42.52 equates to a B+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at B+ too, and 38.4% of entries achieved at least an AAB. Ofsted's November 2023 inspection awarded Outstanding across every category, including behaviour, personal development, and sixth-form provision, with no areas flagged for improvement.
The school is oversubscribed by a ratio of 1.86, with 350 applications for 188 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and 242 of those were first preferences. That tells you how sought-after it is among local families. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, and a dedicated sixth form centre. There is a broad range of sports on offer, from rowing to martial arts, and clubs include Model UN, Young Enterprise, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The school has identified SEND provision for specific learning difficulties, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 5.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is less diverse economically than the national average, but the school's academic profile suggests it is a strong fit for girls who thrive in a selective, high-expectation environment and are aiming for competitive university courses.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Girls |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | 30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay, Torbay, TQ2 7DY |
| Headteacher | Sarah Forster |
| Local Authority | Torbay |
| Number of Pupils | 1,021 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 5.3% |
| School Capacity | 1,021 / 1,200 (85% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
1 Nov 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 17 Dec 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.37)
706th of 3,141
Nationally
47th of 306
In South West
1st of 9
In Torbay
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
46.0
'22/23
41.0
'23/24
42.5
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2374%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 152 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)74%
- FE college19%
- Not sustained3%
- Employment2%
- Apprenticeship1%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2362%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 109 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
51%
Russell Group
54%
Top-third HE
3%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)62%
- Employment24%
- Not sustained6%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Geography44
- Psychology44
- Biology36
- Mathematics33
- Chemistry32
- English Literature31
- Government and Politics19
- History18
- Business Studies:Single16
- Economics15
- Logic / Philosophy11
- Physics9
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed188
350
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
242 families put this school as their 1st choice (69% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:30
Breakfast club
07:45-08:15
After-school care
15:30-17:00
Source: tggsacademy.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British80.6%
- Asian6.3%
- Mixed5.2%
- White (other)4.4%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Torquay Girls' Grammar School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay
Torbay, TQ2 7DY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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