School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Torquay Girls' Grammar School

30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay, TQ2 7DY

A selective girls grammar school in Torquay, Devon, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,021 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

UK rank: UK Rank #116
Year 7 places: 192
Competition ?: Moderate
Ofsted ?: Outstanding
11+ route: GL Assessment

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Torquay Girls' Grammar School campus aerial

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank: UK Rank #116
Sector: Grammar school
Admissions: Girls only
Assessment: GL Assessment
Places in Year 7: 192
Competition ?: Moderate
Catchment: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Ofsted ?: Outstanding

Overview

Torquay Girls' Grammar School is the only state selective girls' school in its area, educating around 1,020 pupils on Shiphay Lane with the TG6 sixth form attached. Its own welcome frames the school as more than 100 years old, high achieving and deliberately single-sex in Years 7 to 11, with pupils encouraged to speak, lead and be ambitious without embarrassment.

The ethos has a distinctive energy. TGGS celebrates elite academic, sporting and artistic achievement, but also stresses happiness, confidence and fun: house culture includes whole-school events such as the Brixham-to-Torquay sponsored walk and House Shout. The curriculum is described as developing character skills and self-esteem alongside academic success.

The enrichment offer is one of the more vivid in this batch. Official pages mention local trips to the National Marine Aquarium and Tate St Ives, national visits to Parliament and Oxbridge, and international travel including Iceland, Borneo, CERN and Kenya. Students also have routes into sport, drama, Duke of Edinburgh, Ten Tors, student leadership, trips, clubs and a theatre or performance culture. TG6 has about 250 students and highlights strong university, apprenticeship, STEM, law and medical destinations.

Year 7 has 192 places and entry is through selection tests in English and mathematics; outcome letters confirm whether the eligible score has been met, but actual scores are not disclosed. Oversubscription priorities include looked-after status, pupil premium or service premium, then rank order and distance. Published measures show Ofsted Outstanding, Progress 8 around +0.37, 94.2% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 19.6% AAB or better at A level.

Key points

Assessment route: GL Assessment across a single-stage process, covering English and Maths.
Places and demand: 192 places in Year 7 and Moderate
Catchment: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Results: 94.2% grade 5+ in English and maths and 68.6 Attainment 8
Sixth form: Sixth form available with 19.6% AAB or better and 55% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Torbay and England.

School Local authority England

Attainment 8: 68.6
Grade 5+ English and maths: 94.2%
EBacc APS: 6.69
EBacc entry: 86.5%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Torbay and England.

School Local authority England

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Torbay and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown

School details

Sector: Grammar school
School type: Academy converter
Application: Local authority CAF
Gender: Girls only
Age range: 11-18
Headteacher: Ms Sarah Forster
Pupil roll: 1,021 pupils
Sixth form: Yes
Trust: Torquay Girls' Grammar School
FSM ?: 5.3%
EAL ?: 6.1%
EHCP ?: 0.1%

Facilities

Theatre

Extracurriculars

Drama Sport

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,021 pupils; 1,002 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 85.2% Asian 6.3% Mixed 5.2% Black 0.6% Other 1% Unclassified 1.9%

Recorded group	Share	Category	Pupils
White British	80.6%	White	823
Any other White background	4.4%	White	45
Any other Asian background	2.8%	Asian	29
Any other mixed background	2.1%	Mixed	21
Chinese	2.1%	Asian	21
Unclassified	1.9%	Unclassified	19
White and Asian	1.6%	Mixed	16
Indian	1.1%	Asian	11
Any other ethnic group	1%	Other	10
White and Black Caribbean	0.8%	Mixed	8
White and Black African	0.7%	Mixed	7
African	0.4%	Black	4
Any other Black background	0.2%	Black	2
Bangladeshi	0.2%	Asian	2
Irish	0.2%	White	2
Pakistani	0.1%	Asian	1

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Location and contact

Address

Address: 30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay, Devon
Postcode: TQ2 7DY
Area: Torbay
Exam area: Torbay 11+

School leadership

Headteacher: Ms Sarah Forster

School contact

School email: admin@tggsacademy.org
School phone: 01803613215

Admissions contact

Admissions email: admin@tggsacademy.org
Admissions phone: 01803613215

Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Year 7 places: 192 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed: 350 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences: 242 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?: Moderate
Who can apply: You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Pass mark note: Outcome letters give only whether the eligible score has been met. Actual scores are not disclosed.

Selection is through English and maths tests. Outcome letters confirm whether the eligible score has been met; actual scores are not disclosed.

No catchment priority is listed. Distance from home to school is used only to resolve tied scores after the priority categories.

Oversubscription and eligibility

1

Education, Health and Care Plan

Girls with an EHCP naming Torquay Girls' Grammar School are admitted if they meet the eligible academic score.
2

Looked-after and previously looked-after girls

Candidates on the eligible list are prioritised first for looked-after or previously looked-after status.
3

Pupil Premium and Service Premium

Eligible-list candidates entitled to Pupil Premium or Service Premium are prioritised next.
4

Rank order by total score

All other eligible candidates are ranked by total selection-test score.
5

Distance tie-break

Tied candidates are ordered by straight-line distance from home to school, with random allocation if still tied.

Admissions policy

Admissions policy entry September 2027

2027 entry

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

Torquay Girls' Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 1 paper.

Assessment route: GL Assessment
Papers and stages: 1 paper
Format: Mixed format

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Torbay test guide

Familiarisation GL Assessment English familiarisation pack English General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Maths familiarisation pack Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Non-Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Non-Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning familiarisation pack Verbal Reasoning General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ. Familiarisation GL Assessment Verbal Skills familiarisation pack Verbal Skills General provider materials. Match the subjects to the current test; question counts and timings may differ.

View all 7 resources

Guidance GL Assessment official guidance and downloads General provider familiarisation. Use only the subjects in this school’s test; question counts and timings may differ.

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Papers and rounds

Paper 1

English, Maths

Selection tests

Selection tests in English and mathematics, with an eligible-score outcome.

What the test includes

English and Maths are included in the published format.

Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.

Included

English
Maths

Not listed

Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders

Find open days and plan a visit

Registration opens

1 March 2026
Past
Preferred registration deadline

15 July 2026
Past
Final registration deadline

4 September 2026
Past

Deadline is midday.
Selection tests

19 September 2026
Eligibility outcome

On or as soon as possible after 12 October 2026 (provisional)
Secondary school application deadline

31 October 2026
National offer day

1 March 2027

How to apply

1
Register for the selection tests

Register by midday on Friday 4 September 2026; 15 July is the preferred earlier deadline.
Register
2
Sit the selection tests

The main test date is Saturday 19 September 2026.
Check test details
3
Submit the secondary application

Name the school on the local authority application by 31 October 2026.
Check application details

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions policy entry September 2027

2027 entry

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8 ?: +0.37 Progress 8
Attainment 8 ?: 68.6 Attainment 8
GCSE results: 97.4% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?: 94.2% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?: 6.69 EBacc APS
A-level results: 19.6% AAB or better
A-level average points: 40.86 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression: 55% in higher education
Apprenticeships: 2% in apprenticeships
Employment: 25% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths: 93.6% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English: 94.9% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences: 94.2% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages: 90.6% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

Torquay Girls' Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	72	74.2	49.4
2022/23	70.2	71.8	47.0
2023/24	68.9	72.1	46.7
2024/25	68.6	72.3	46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

Torquay Girls' Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	A- average (46.0 points)	44.0 points	37.5 points
2022/23	B average (41.0 points)	40.5 points	33.7 points
2023/24	B+ average (42.5 points)	41.3 points	34.5 points
2024/25	B average (40.9 points)	41.8 points	35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

Torquay Girls' Grammar School Grammar schools England

Year	This school	Grammar schools	England
2021/22	99%	99.1%	94.1%
2022/23	97%	98.9%	93.9%
2023/24	97%	99.0%	93.3%
2024/25	99%	98.7%	91.8%

Latest year breakdown

In education	97%
In apprenticeships	1%
In employment	1%

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Inspection

View report

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 2 November 2023

Quality of education: Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
Personal development: Outstanding
Leadership and management: Outstanding
Sixth form provision: Outstanding

Quick summary

Overall effectiveness: Torquay Girls' Grammar School was rated Outstanding across all areas. Inspectors described highly ambitious academic provision balanced with emotional and mental health support, strong STEM aspirations, high participation in enrichment and pupils who challenge gender stereotypes in future planning.
Quality of education: Ambitious content is carefully chosen in each subject and taught by staff with strong subject expertise. Pupils use specialist language fluently, sixth-formers produce scholarly writing and lead sophisticated discussion, and teachers revisit learning to spot and close misconceptions.
Behaviour and attitudes: The report links pupils' strong attitudes to high expectations and supportive classrooms. Pupils feel safe to express views, show courage in their choices and take part enthusiastically in the wider life of the school.
Personal development: Pupils keep physically healthy through sport, learn skills such as coding and gain confidence through public speaking and productions. Participation in extra-curricular activities is high, including among disadvantaged pupils, and the house system inspires future sixth-form leadership.
Leadership and management: Leaders balance exceptional academic ambition with close attention to pupils' emotional and mental health. They reflect carefully on what works in each subject, adapt support for pupils who need it and maintain effective safeguarding arrangements.
Sixth form provision: Sixth-form provision was rated Outstanding. The report notes that more than half of students progress to STEM degrees, older students produce scholarly work and sophisticated discussion, and younger pupils see house leadership as something to aspire to.

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

Plymouth High School for Girls

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Devonport High School for Girls

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Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

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Shortlist comparisons

Compare Torquay Girls' Grammar School with Plymouth High School for Girls Compare Torquay Girls' Grammar School with Devonport High School for Girls

Explore this school in context

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Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results

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Related pages and guides

Area and ranking pages

Best Grammar Schools in Torbay

Compare 3 Torbay grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Torbay route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.

Best Grammar Schools in the UK

Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.

Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results

Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Torquay Girls' Grammar School use?

Torquay Girls' Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Torquay Girls' Grammar School?

1. Register for the selection tests: Register by midday on Friday 4 September 2026; 15 July is the preferred earlier deadline. 2. Sit the selection tests: The main test date is Saturday 19 September 2026. 3. Submit the secondary application: Name the school on the local authority application by 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Torquay Girls' Grammar School?

Registration opens: 1 March 2026. Preferred registration deadline: 15 July 2026. Final registration deadline: 4 September 2026. Selection tests: 19 September 2026. Eligibility outcome: On or as soon as possible after 12 October 2026 (provisional). Secondary school application deadline: 31 October 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Torquay Girls' Grammar School?

Torquay Girls' Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 2 November 2023.