Brixham College Review 2026: A values-led 11 to 18 academy in Torbay, with a renewed leadership team

Brixham College is a mixed, non-selective secondary with sixth form serving the Brixham community and wider Torbay area. The school’s identity is tightly tied to its values curriculum, built around five themes: High Expectations, Continuous Improvement, Character, Knowledge, and Leadership.

Leadership has recently changed. The school’s long-serving principal, Mark Eager, retired in December 2025, and the school has since introduced a new principal, Miss R Blackshaw.

Academically, the picture is mixed. On the latest graded inspection profile (October 2023), the overall judgement was Requires Improvement, while Personal Development and Sixth Form provision were judged Good.

A key feature of Brixham College is how explicitly it talks about education beyond exam results. The school’s published values are not generic branding, they are positioned as a taught curriculum thread within Personal Development, incorporating PSHEE, Citizenship, British Values, and the school’s own values framework.

This values emphasis is reinforced by a trust-wide narrative. Brixham College is part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, and both the school and trust describe a shared ambition around “transforming life chances”, which shows up repeatedly across the school’s public-facing messaging.

Leadership transition matters for day-to-day feel, especially in schools working through improvement priorities. The school’s own communications position Miss R Blackshaw as focused on building relationships with families and articulating a forward plan, which is a sensible early signal for a new principal taking over mid-year.

There is also clear evidence that the school expects students to take part in a broader community life. Ofsted’s report notes the centrality of values, opportunities for leadership roles, and sixth form students having strong personal development support.

Brixham College’s latest Ofsted inspection profile (graded inspection in October 2023) is the most important official snapshot for parents to read alongside results data. The school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Leadership and Management all graded Requires Improvement, while Personal Development and Sixth Form provision were graded Good.

On GCSE outcomes, the school’s performance sits below England average on the available national indicators in your dataset. Ranked 3,460th in England and 2nd in the Brixham area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the school below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure. Progress 8 is -0.74, indicating students make less progress than similar students nationally from their starting points.

Some measures underline the same theme. The average EBACC APS is 3.03, compared with an England benchmark of 4.08.

In sixth form, the outcomes in your dataset also sit below England averages on the headline grade distribution. Ranked 2,315th in England and 2nd locally for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school is below England average on the A-level measures provided. 28.92% of grades are A* to B, compared with an England benchmark of 47.2%.

A practical way for parents to use this information is comparative rather than absolute. FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool are most useful here, particularly to understand whether Brixham College’s results profile is similar to other realistic local options, or whether travel further is justified for your child’s learning style.

The October 2023 inspection evidence points to a school that has done some foundational curriculum work but has not yet made it consistently effective in classrooms. The report states the curriculum is well planned, and that key stage 3 and sixth form curriculums are broad and ambitious.

A distinctive detail is the school’s named teaching approach. The Ofsted report refers to “The Brixham Way” as a move towards greater consistency in teaching, and the school has also published a Teaching and Learning policy that sets out expectations around curriculum entitlement and depth of understanding.

The implication for families is that the direction of travel is clear, but classroom consistency is the critical question. For some students, a structured approach with stable routines can be exactly what helps them make stronger progress. For others, the priority may be whether lessons are calm and purposeful enough, day after day, for concentration and confidence to build.

Where Students Go Next

Brixham College is a school with a sixth form, so parents often want a clear sense of post-16 outcomes as well as GCSE performance.

The destination data available in your dataset suggests a mixed set of pathways for the 2023/24 cohort: 32% progressed to university, 27% entered employment, 5% started apprenticeships, and 5% went to further education.

This spread may suit students who want multiple viable routes, not only a single university pipeline. It also underlines the importance of good careers education, work experience, and guidance at key decision points, especially for students considering apprenticeships or employment routes alongside post-18 study.

Your dataset does not provide usable Oxbridge application or acceptance counts for the period, so it is not possible to evidence an Oxbridge pipeline here.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Torbay Council. For entry in September 2026, applications opened on 01 September 2025 and the closing date was 31 October 2025. Offer day is 02 March 2026 for on-time applicants.

Brixham College’s admissions information directs families back to the local authority route, which is typical for an academy in a coordinated admissions system.

For parents who want to understand how places are allocated if the school is oversubscribed, the school’s admissions arrangements set out the distance tie-break approach and that, if applicants cannot be separated by distance (for example, identical distance), allocation can be by random lot.

Open events can be a helpful way to judge fit, particularly for students who are anxious about the transition to secondary. The school has published open events for Year 5 families in late June 2026, which suggests a planned early engagement cycle ahead of the September 2027 intake, and it is sensible to expect a similar rhythm year on year.

Parents weighing catchment and distance should use FindMySchool’s Map Search to calculate your exact home-to-school distance in the same way the local authority measures it, then sanity-check against current-year patterns. Distances vary annually based on applicant distribution; proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.

Brixham College is a mainstream secondary with additional specialist resourcing. The Ofsted report records a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism, supporting 22 pupils.

The same inspection evidence also highlights that Personal Development is a relative strength (graded Good), and that sixth form students have strong support and opportunities for personal development as well as academic development.

A school’s pastoral offer is only as effective as its everyday culture. The inspection report makes clear that behaviour and students’ sense of safety were improvement priorities at that point in time, and families should explore what has changed since then, including how routines are applied, how corridors and social times are supervised, and how bullying concerns are handled in practice.

Brixham College is unusually strong in how often it publishes specific, named student activities rather than relying on generic claims.

STEM and engineering style enrichment is visible through the school’s Greenpower racing involvement. The school reports its Greenpower team, Team Oblivion, competing at events including a season finale at Predannack Airfield, with students managing pit stops, lap times, and team roles.

Implication: for students who learn best by building and testing, this kind of project offers a concrete route into engineering, teamwork, and technical problem-solving beyond the classroom.

Performing arts and creative production also has clear evidence behind it. In September 2025, the school announced a new drama studio created through a £30,000 investment, with professional lighting and sound equipment and a dedicated performance area.

Alongside facilities, there is a culture of performance events. The MMADD Show (Music, Media, Art, Drama, and Dance) is described as involving over 60 students across Years 7 to 13 in one recent edition, and it includes ensembles such as a Big Band.

Implication: students who gain confidence through performance, backstage roles, or creative collaboration are likely to find real opportunities to participate, not only watch.

For parents, the most useful question is participation depth: how many students are actively involved over a year, and whether students new to an activity are welcomed, or whether opportunities mainly reward those already confident. The evidence suggests an intention to broaden access, especially in drama, where the school describes the provision as expanding year by year.

The published school day runs from 8.30am (tutor time and assembly) to 3.00pm (end of period 4), with two breaks and four lesson periods.

Transport is a distinctive operational feature because the school runs an in-house bus service with multiple colour-coded routes. The school publishes a current price of £180 per term (or £90 per half term), with a sibling discount on a second ticket.

For students staying for activities, the school also references a late bus leaving at 4.10pm for those who usually use the bus service.

• Inspection profile and behaviour priorities. The October 2023 Ofsted report judged the school Requires Improvement overall, including Requires Improvement for Behaviour and Attitudes. This is important context, particularly for students who need calm routines to feel secure.

• Academic outcomes sit below England averages on the dataset measures. Progress 8 is -0.74, and the school’s FindMySchool ranking places it below England average overall for both GCSE and A-level outcomes. This will not suit every learner, especially those who need a consistently high pace and stretch across all subjects.

• Early start, structured day. An 8.30am start is manageable for most families but can be a pressure point for students with long commutes or sleep challenges, particularly in exam years.

• Transport costs for some families. The school’s bus service may be convenient, but it adds an ongoing cost (£180 per term) that parents should budget for if it is likely to be needed.

Brixham College is a large, values-driven 11 to 18 school that is clearly investing in culture, enrichment, and facilities, particularly in performing arts and practical STEM activities. Leadership change at the start of 2026 is a meaningful reset moment, and families considering the school should pay close attention to day-to-day consistency in teaching and behaviour routines.

Best suited to students who want a broad local comprehensive with a sixth form option, value co-curricular identity, and may benefit from a structured, explicitly taught approach to personal development. The key decision point is whether the school’s improvement priorities align with what your child needs right now, especially around classroom calm and academic momentum.