Trinity School

Fewer than 300 pupils span the whole of Trinity School, from a single Nursery class up to a small sixth form, and that number tells you most of what defines the place. On a 14-acre coastal site at Teignmouth, between the East Devon and South Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this is a non-selective independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged three to nineteen, with a Christian character that draws on both Church of England and Catholic traditions. Class sizes are small by design, and staff know pupils as individuals rather than names on a register. The senior school posts GCSE results that sit in the top 10% of schools in England and second in the Torquay area, while the sixth form is much weaker and the A-level record should be read with clear eyes. For many families the real draw is the pastoral care, the boarding, the sea a short walk away, and an unusual Elite Football Programme run by former professionals. In its April 2026 ISI inspection, Trinity met every standard it was assessed against.

Scale is the first thing to understand about Trinity. With a whole-school roll of around 300 across every phase, from one Nursery and Reception class up to a compact senior school and sixth form, this is a place where a single child can be tracked from age three to eighteen by staff who see them daily. Where larger independents sell breadth, Trinity sells attention. The head, Kate Unsworth, frames the school's appeal as the combination of small classes, a welcoming community, and the scope to work with each child individually, and that emphasis on the individual over the cohort runs through how the place operates.

The Christian character is genuine but proportionate. The foundation is ecumenical, spanning Church of England and Catholic traditions, and it surfaces in small, concrete ways: a Confirmation group runs alongside the other clubs, and boarders in Year 11 and below attend a local church or a chapel assembly on Sundays. Admissions, though, are non-selective and the community is mixed, so the faith framing sits alongside a broadly inclusive intake rather than gating it.

Inclusion here is more than a slogan. Around 70 pupils are identified with special educational needs and disabilities, 17 of them with an education, health and care plan, and a further group are learning English as an additional language. That shapes a school used to teaching children of very different starting points side by side, and it colours the daily atmosphere: this is a school that expects to meet a child where they are rather than sort them into a stream.

Two features shape the daily feel. The first is boarding: a resident community of around 34 boarders gives the school a rhythm that reaches into evenings and weekends, with surfing, kayaking and cooking evenings rather than an empty campus after the day pupils leave. The second is the coast itself. Teignmouth's beaches and estuary sit on the doorstep, close to the Jurassic Coast and within reach of Dartmoor, and the water sports that feature in boarding life would be impossible for an inland school. It is a specific, place-rooted identity that a glossy prospectus cannot manufacture.

The early years sets the tone. A single Nursery takes children from age two into a purpose-built setting where Forest School sessions, ballet, PE and early French sit alongside a sequenced curriculum that folds in shared reading, music and singing. Nursery children carry a guaranteed place into Trinity's own Reception, so the all-through journey begins before a child has learned to read.

The two examined phases at Trinity pull in opposite directions, and it is fairer to families to say so plainly than to blur them together.

At GCSE the senior school performs well. In the proprietary FindMySchool academic ranking, built from official results data, Trinity places 389th of 3,895 in England for GCSE results, which is the top 10.0% (ranked against all schools in England with published GCSE results, state and independent). Its blended overall position, which combines results with the FindMySchool inspection score, is 370th of 3,887, and within the Torquay area it ranks second. Those are strong figures for a school of this size, and for a non-selective intake that takes children of a wide range of starting points, a top-10% GCSE standing is the clearest sign that the individual attention translates into outcomes at the point pupils sit their first external exams. One honest caveat travels with them: the GCSE cohort is small, at 28 pupils at the end of Year 11, so a handful of results moves the picture more than it would at a large school, and a single year's rank is best read as a snapshot rather than a settled trend.

The sixth form is a different story, and the A-level record is weak and should not be dressed up. In the most recent results, no entries reached A* and none reached grade A, while 12.2% achieved A* to B. For comparison, the England averages sit at roughly 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B, so Trinity is well short on both measures. In the FindMySchool academic ranking the sixth form places 2,533rd of 2,562 in England for A-level results, near the foot of the table and below the England average, with a blended overall position of 2,496th of 2,561 and a local rank of sixth in the Torquay area. The one mitigating point is scale: the A-level cohort is very small, so a single strong or weak year swings the percentages sharply. Even so, families choosing Trinity for its sixth form should do so for the pastoral support and the personal attention, not for a track record of top grades that the record does not show.

Across the school, lesson planning is thorough and well structured, building deliberately on what pupils have already covered so that knowledge is consolidated rather than rushed. Small classes make that individualised approach practical: a teacher of eight or twelve can pitch work to each child in a way that a teacher of thirty cannot. The curriculum is comprehensive and well developed, advancing foundation skills in speaking, listening, literacy and mathematics from the early years upward, and in the youngest classes it draws on children's own interests to build vocabulary and early scientific understanding.

Support for pupils with additional needs is a genuine strength, and it is specific rather than vague. The learning-support provision runs one-to-one lessons, offers alternatives to mainstream lessons where a child needs them, provides in-class support, and keeps a safe space pupils can use when they need to step back. Needs are identified early and reviewed regularly, and for the youngest pupils learning English as an additional language, linguistic needs are mapped precisely and met with clear guidance. Subject-specific clinics reinforce the point: English Support, Maths Support, Science Support and Business Support all run as timetabled help rather than ad hoc catch-up.

Two honest weaknesses sit alongside the strengths. Some teaching does not push pupils on to harder work when they are ready or ask enough of their independent thinking, and progress in those lessons is limited, which matters most for the ablest children given the modest A-level outcomes. And where younger pupils learning English are supported closely, older pupils in the same position are not monitored as tightly, so the school has less precise sight of the difference it is making for them.

Because Trinity is an all-through school, most children move up through it rather than out of it. Progression from the primary phase into Year 7, and from Year 11 into the sixth form, happens internally within a single community, and because the school is non-selective the transitions are about continuity rather than a fresh selection hurdle at each stage. A child who joins in Nursery can, in principle, stay to eighteen without ever changing school, which is part of the appeal for families who want stability over a series of competitive moves.

The destination parents scrutinise most is where sixth formers go at eighteen, and here the published picture is modest. Among the most recent leaving cohort of 15 students, 13% went on to university and 7% into apprenticeships, while 40% moved into employment, with the remainder taking other routes. The sixth form's Transitus Programme devotes one of its strands explicitly to university destinations and next steps, and a dedicated budgeting course prepares older students for the practical side of adult life, so the support is real. The verifiable data, though, points to a mixed set of outcomes in which employment and vocational routes feature at least as prominently as university. Families should treat higher-education progression as a genuine possibility the school supports, not a guaranteed norm, and should ask directly about recent named destinations when they visit.

Entry to Trinity is non-selective and runs through the school directly rather than through a local authority. The main entry points mirror the phases: Nursery from age two and Reception in the early years, Year 7 into the senior school, and Year 12 into the sixth form, with in-year places available across the age range where space allows. There is no catchment area to satisfy and no admissions distance to clear, which is the practical upside of an independent intake: a family moving into south Devon mid-year can approach the school at any point rather than waiting for a common admissions round.

The Christian character does not function as an admissions filter. Because the foundation is ecumenical and the school non-selective, families of any faith or none are admitted on the same basis, and worship features most explicitly for boarders rather than as a condition of entry. Prospective sixth formers should confirm subject options and entry expectations with the school directly, since these are handled case by case rather than published as a fixed tariff. For families comparing options, the FindMySchool map and saved-schools shortlist make it easy to line Trinity up against other Devon independents before booking a visit.

Pastoral care is the strongest thread in the school's story. The small scale that limits subject breadth is exactly what makes the care work: staff know each child, spot problems early, and build the individual relationships that a family-sized school allows. Leaders across the school work to keep the environment supportive, maintaining their own skills through training and performance reviews and putting safeguarding, wellbeing and inclusion first. Pupils' physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing meet every relevant standard, and wellbeing, including online safety, is actively promoted.

Safeguarding is a clear strength. The school runs a set of policies reviewed annually, keeps staff well trained, gives governors regular oversight, and works effectively with outside agencies, with recruitment checks carried out thoroughly and recorded accurately on a single central record. In the boarding houses, staff supervise pupils appropriately and keep them safe, and the warmth of those relationships is a recurring theme. Pupils' social and economic education, and their contribution to the wider community, likewise meet the standards expected, helped along by a Community Service strand and a Young Enterprise group that push older students to look beyond themselves. For a boarding school, that combination of vigilance and genuine care is the reassurance parents most need.

Enrichment at Trinity leans into its setting rather than trying to match the club catalogue of a large city independent, and the surprise is how much a school of this size fits in. Sport is broad for the roll: rugby, football, netball, hockey, cricket, basketball, tennis, badminton, golf and cross-country run alongside the coast-specific options of sailing and sea rowing, plus judo, fencing and squash. Swimming features both competitively and recreationally. The coast is the biggest asset, and it turns activities that would be a treat elsewhere into part of ordinary school life.

The stand-out is the Elite Football Programme, established in 2023, which integrates football coaching with academic study for pupils aged seven to eighteen, across Years 3 to 13. It is staffed by people with serious pedigree. The Head of Football, Rick Wellard, is a former professional with AFC Wimbledon and Cambridge United who holds the UEFA A Licence and the FA Advanced Youth Award. He is joined by Elliot Frear, a former professional winger for Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers and Motherwell, as Elite Development Coach; by goalkeeper coach Andrew Sowden-Bird, who works with Exeter City Women; and by Head of Sports Science Warren Hogg, who has worked with the Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City first teams. For a footballing child, that is a level of coaching most small schools cannot approach.

Music runs deep for the scale, from the earliest years upward. Individuals and groups perform to outside audiences, including at festivals and the Devon County Show, and the ensembles have real variety for a school this size: a Big Band, a Choir, and a Recorder Club sit alongside instrumental tuition, while Ballet, Tap and Modern Stage Dancing and Salsa Dancing cover movement. Drama is anchored by a Theatre Workshop, and creative pursuits stretch to Art Club, Craft and Cross-Stitch.

Outdoor and character-building activity is a defining pillar, and it plays to the Devon location. The school fields teams for Ten Tors, the demanding Dartmoor expedition challenge, and runs the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and a Combined Cadet Force, all of which put pupils on the moor and the coast rather than in a hall. Add a Science Club, a Technology Workshop, Chess, Public Speaking, Climbing, Conservation and an English Review Magazine, and the picture is of a school where a child who wants to try something is unlikely to be crowded out. The flip side of that accessibility is honest to state: the range of elite teams, senior ensembles and specialist societies is narrower than a large school can offer.

Trinity charges by term, and the fees rise with age. For the 2026-27 year, day fees run at £3,885 per term for Reception, £4,515 per term for Years 1 to 3, £5,245 per term for Years 4 to 6, and £6,690 per term for Years 7 to 13. Full boarding is charged at £15,096 per term.

On financial aid, the school awards scholarships in three strands: Sports, for elite performance in any sport; Creative and Performing Arts, covering music, drama, dance and art; and Academic, for excellence across subjects. A means-tested bursary schedule is not published on the school's accessible fee pages, so families who need income-based support should raise it with the admissions office directly and early. For nursery fees, see the school website; government-funded hours are available for eligible families, and our guide to nursery funding explains how the entitlement works.

Boarding is central to Trinity's identity even though boarders are a minority of the roll. Around 34 pupils board, across two houses: one for the younger year groups from Year 5 to Year 11, and one for the sixth form in Years 12 and 13, with Chapel House among the provision. The community includes pupils learning English as an additional language, which gives the houses an outward-looking dimension unusual at this scale and helps day pupils mix with peers from further afield.

Weekends are structured by age. Junior boarders up to Year 8 have an organised trip or activity every Saturday and Sunday; Year 9 students may explore Teignmouth with sign-in procedures; and older students in Years 10 and 11 and the sixth form can head into Exeter under the same protocols. Midway through each half term, an optional exeat weekend lets boarders go home. The wider programme is genuinely local and active: surfing and kayaking make use of the estuary and beaches, alongside visits to nearby towns and quieter in-house evenings of cooking and board games. On Sundays, boarders in Year 11 and below attend a local church or a chapel assembly, a reminder that the faith character is felt most in boarding life.

The care behind all this is what the school does best. Boarding staff are well trained and experienced, and inspectors noted that they offer consistent care across all houses and build the warm relationships that give boarders a sense of belonging. Supervision is appropriate and boarders are kept safe. For families weighing boarding, that steadiness matters more than any single facility.

Trinity sits on Buckeridge Road in Teignmouth, a coastal town in south Devon within reach of Newton Abbot and Exeter. Getting there is well organised for a school of its size. Dedicated bus routes run from Exeter and Dawlish and from Paignton and Shaldon, and a complimentary bus meets students from Teignmouth Train Station at 8:05am and returns at 5:05pm, which widens the practical catchment well beyond the town itself.

For day families the school draws from the surrounding towns and villages, and its coastal position means travel from further afield is common, which is part of why the boarding option matters: it removes the daily commute for families who live too far to run a round trip. The all-through structure keeps everything on one site, so a Nursery child moving up into Reception, and later into the senior school and sixth form, never changes location. Specific daily hours and any wraparound provision are best confirmed with the school when you enquire, as these are not set out in detail publicly.

The A-level record is genuinely weak. No recent A-level entries reached A or A*, and the sixth form ranks near the bottom of schools in England for results. The cohort is small enough that one strong year could shift this, but families choosing the sixth form should do so for the support and setting, not for grades.

Small scale cuts both ways. With fewer than 300 pupils across every phase, subject breadth in the sixth form and the size of senior teams and ensembles are necessarily limited, and single results move the published statistics. The trade-off is the individual attention that larger schools cannot match.

The Christian character is real. Trinity's ecumenical Christian foundation, drawing on Church of England and Catholic traditions, is felt most in boarding, where pupils in Year 11 and below attend a local church or chapel on Sundays, and in groups such as Confirmation. Admissions are open to all, but families should be comfortable with a school that keeps a genuine faith dimension.

Location and travel. The Devon coast is a strength for boarders and water sports, but distant day families face a real commute. The bus routes and the flexible boarding option are the practical answers, and both are worth pricing into any decision.

Trinity School is a small, warm, coastal independent that does its best work in pastoral care, boarding, and the individual attention only a school of this size can offer. Its GCSE results are a real credit, placing it in the top 10% of schools in England and second in the Torquay area, and its early years, its support for pupils with additional needs, and its unusually well-coached football programme are genuine strengths. The honest counterweight is the sixth form, where the A-level record is weak and should not be oversold. Trinity is best suited to families who want a caring, inclusive, faith-informed school with boarding on the Devon coast, who value knowing their child will be seen and supported as an individual, and who are drawn primarily by the ethos, the setting and the pastoral care rather than by a hunt for top A-level grades. Families seeking large-school subject breadth or an elite sixth-form results record should look elsewhere.