Torbay
The Spires College
GCSE results 2026: every Torbay school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 45.1 is close to the national average of around 46.
- 45.1
- Attainment 8
- 46%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Progress is close to average or statistically uncertain because the confidence interval crosses zero. This does not necessarily mean the school adds or detracts from pupil progress.
- -0.15
- Progress 8
- [-0.35, 0.04]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 194 | 199 | 134 (67%) | 561 |
| September 2025 | 218 | 213 | 167 (78%) | 583 |
| September 2024 | 195 | 223 | 161 (72%) | 561 |
| September 2023 | 209 | 199 | 157 (79%) | 520 |
| September 2022 | 197 | 223 | 150 (67%) | 586 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Torbay’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 41 | Not published | Not published | 22% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 34 | Not published | Not published | 6% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 66 | 0% England 1% | 6% England 18% | 3% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 41 | 0% England 1% | 7% England 15% | 5% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 51 | 0% England 1% | 2% England 16% | 2% England 18% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 63 | 0% England 1% | 5% England 14% | 5% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Entry, tests and fees
Entrance test
The 11+ test for entry into Year 7 in September 2027 will take place on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Source · checked 27 October 2026
The 11+ test consists of two papers designed by an external assessment authority (GL) in English and Maths.
Source · checked 27 October 2026
The 11+ test consists of two papers designed by an external assessment authority (GL) in English and Maths.
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Open events
Sixth Form Open Evening - Thursday 19 November 2026, 6 - 8 pm
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Admissions
Torbay is an area with a Selective Grammar School system: parents can choose for their child to take the ‘11+’ test if they wish for them to apply for a place a…
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Admissions pageAdmission policySixth form
Copied from the school's and test organisers' own pages; check them before registering or applying.
Questions parents ask about The Spires College
- How good are The Spires College's GCSE results?
- In 2025/26 (provisional) pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.1, against 47.6 across England. 8.5% got grade 7 or above in both English and maths.
- How good are The Spires College's A-level results?
- In 2024/25 students averaged 28.0 points per A-level entry (an average grade of C-). An A* is worth 60 points and an A 50.
- How hard is it to get into The Spires College?
- For September 2026, 199 families put it first for 194 Year 7 places: 1.0 first choices per place. Some of its places go by an ability or aptitude test; its admission policy says how many.
- How many The Spires College students go to Oxford or Cambridge?
- 0% of its sixth-form leavers went to Oxford or Cambridge, and 5.0% to Russell Group universities (2015/16–2019/20), from Department for Education destination data.
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 199 | 45.1 | — | 45.7% | 8.5% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 183 | 44.5 | — | 51.4% | — | 26.8% | 3.9 |
| 2023/2024 | 211 | 43.6 | -0.15 | 40.3% | — | 27.5% | 3.7 |
| 2022/2023 | 205 | 40.8 | -0.49 | 33.7% | — | 26.3% | 3.4 |
| 2021/2022 | 148 | 44.9 | -0.13 | — | — | 28.0% | 3.7 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Torbay for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 113526 |
| Local authority | Torbay |
| Region | South West |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Foundation school |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Principal Alex Newton |
| Trust | Westlands School Trust |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | TQ1 3PE |
| Pupils | 1,131 |
| FSM eligible | 30.3% |
Contact and identifiers
Westlands Lane, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3PE
http://thespirescollege.com1803400660| DfE number | 4117 |
| UKPRN | 10007450 |
| Opened | — |
| GIAS updated | 21 Jan 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | — |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | — |
| Behaviour and attitudes | — |
| Personal development | — |
| Leadership and management | — |
| Safeguarding | — |
| Inspection type | — |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | — |
| Publication date | — |