Ofsted: Expected standard trending_up Popular emoji_events #33 in Devon public Top 32% UK

Bideford College

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personDr Claire Ankers

corporate_fareATHENA LEARNING TRUST

location_onBideford, EX39 3AR

language Visit Website phone 1237477611

verified

Ofsted

Expected standard

Inspected 2026

groups

Students

1,430

trending_up

Attainment 8

42.3

leaderboard

GCSE Rank

#35 in Devon

#2,526 of 4,712 nationally

summarize

Bideford College is a Academy sponsor led secondary school in Bideford, serving ages 11-18. Demand is above capacity (1.0×) — apply through your local authority on time.

article

School Summary

Bideford College is an academy sponsor led in Bideford, Devon, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of ATHENA LEARNING TRUST. The school has approximately 1,447 pupils on roll, of whom 30% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2026, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.3, placing the school #35 in Devon and #2,526 of 4,712 nationally. 41.10% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 15.5% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 17 A-level subjects. 52.8% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 30.1% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.33 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2026. The school's current overall rating is Expected standard. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Expected standard, behaviour and attitudes Needs attention, personal development Expected standard, and leadership and management Needs attention.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.0× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 19.3:1. There are 3 teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 3 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 13.8 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2026

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

42.3

Grade 5+ E&M

41.10%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)15.5%

Entering EBacc-%

EBacc APS-

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

45.7

Grade 5+ E&M

50.40%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)17.7%

Entering EBacc50.00%

EBacc APS4.27

2024

Progress 8 Score

-0.24

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

42.5

Grade 5+ E&M

41.90%

Entering EBacc67.50%

EBacc APS4.06

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.55

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc57%

EBacc APS3.48

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.45

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

43.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc69%

EBacc APS4.09

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc63%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.44

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc64%

EBacc APS3.87

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.68

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

38.3

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc60%

EBacc APS3.57

explore

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2026

Stayed in Education / Employment

91%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)79.5%

Apprenticeships7.3%

Employment4.3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

86%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)71%

Apprenticeships8%

Employment7%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)10%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)81%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment8%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

92%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)73%

Apprenticeships13%

Employment6%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

95%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)89%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

93%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)7%

workspace_premium

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.33

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils do significantly better than expected at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*8.1%

Achieving A*–A30.1%

Achieving A*–B52.8%

VA Banding Above average

Retention rate94.4%

A-level subjects offered17

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.24

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C+

Students

Retention rate88.60%

2023

Avg Grade

C-

Students

Retention rate88.20%

2022

Avg Grade

B-

Students

Retention rate100.0%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

No digital report timeline available.

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2026-05-19

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Behaviour

Development

Leadership

2022-06-07

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2018-10-16

Academy First Section 5 Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2015-01-14

None Legacy

Inadequate

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Inadequate

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

14.6%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

5.0%(73 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,447 pupils. During this period, there were 211 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 14.6%, which is above the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,447	211	14.6%	7.3%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,461	189	12.9%	7.8%	2
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,454	356	24.5%	7.4%	2
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,456	389	26.7%	7.1%	1
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,478	644	43.6%	8.2%	1
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,418	397	28.0%	6.6%	2
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,430	403	28.2%	6.4%	4
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,436	415	28.9%	5.9%	3
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,364	82	6.0%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,380	83	6.0%	4.9%	2
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,375	59	4.3%	4.4%	3
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,299	29	2.2%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,303	11	0.8%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,300	43	3.3%	3.9%	1
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,251	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,251	9	0.7%	3.2%	2
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,262	19	1.5%	4.2%	3
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,262	7	0.6%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,265	12	0.9%	3.8%	1
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,279	10	0.8%	3.8%	2
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,293	2	0.2%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,300	7	0.5%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,318	9	0.7%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,306	4	0.3%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,308	0	0.0%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,320	5	0.4%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

accessibility_new

psychology_alt

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 141 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 72 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 36 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 29 pupils

Multi-Sensory Impairment 11 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 10 pupils

Hearing Impairment 4 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

Physical Disability 1 pupils

health_and_safety

Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

10.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

14.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

5.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree5%

agree29%

disagree29%

strongly disagree33%

don't know5%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree10%

agree14%

disagree29%

strongly disagree43%

don't know5%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

agree5%

disagree33%

strongly disagree62%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes52%

no48%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

agree9%

disagree45%

strongly disagree45%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree14%

agree38%

disagree14%

strongly disagree29%

don't know5%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree5%

agree14%

disagree24%

strongly disagree57%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree5%

agree43%

disagree5%

strongly disagree48%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree5%

agree29%

disagree24%

strongly disagree43%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree5%

agree43%

disagree10%

strongly disagree24%

don't know19%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree5%

agree10%

disagree10%

strongly disagree76%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes10%

no90%

Top Secondary Schools in Devon

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

View all arrow_forward

Colyton Grammar School

Outstanding

location_on Colyton, EX24 6HN

emoji_events #1 in LA

Ivybridge Community College

Good

location_on Ivybridge, PL21 0JA

emoji_events #2 in LA

Chulmleigh Community College

Good

location_on Chulmleigh, EX18 7AA

emoji_events #3 in LA

St Peter's Church of England Aided School

Good

location_on Exeter, EX2 5AP

emoji_events #4 in LA

Kingsbridge Academy

Good

location_on Kingsbridge, TQ7 1PL

emoji_events #5 in LA

Uffculme School

Outstanding

location_on Cullompton, EX15 3AG

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Devon arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Devon

Colyton Grammar School

Ivybridge Community College

Chulmleigh Community College

St Peter's Church of England Aided School

Kingsbridge Academy

Uffculme School