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Torquay Boys' Grammar School

United Kingdom, Torquay

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 11 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1120
Type Boys School, Co-educational
Opened 1904
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum British Curriculum, IB (DP)
Taught languages Spanish, German, Mandarin
Strengths Performing Arts, Languages, Outdoor Education
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Leadership and Professional
Stages Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Torquay Boys' Grammar School is a selective 11–18 boys' grammar school in Torquay. It offers the British Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with a Sixth Form that provides both A‑levels and IB. The IB Diploma is open to both male and female students; girls may join the Sixth Form to study IB, while boys may choose either IB or A‑levels. The curriculum runs from KS3 to KS5, with Year 7 Spanish and Year 8 a second language (German or Mandarin); KS4 focuses on core subjects plus language study; KS5 offers A‑levels or the IB core (TOK, Extended Essay and CAS). Excellent facilities include the Forum conference space, ReTrEAT hall, Centenary Hall theatre, a Library and a Sixth Form Study Area opened in 2023, plus TQ Climb with a 7.5m auto‑belay wall. The school runs extensive trips, Duke of Edinburgh, chess clubs and a thriving music/theatre program. Around 1,120 pupils attend, including girls in the sixth form studying IB.

www.tbgs.co.uk

Torquay Boys' Grammar School, Shiphay Manor Drive, Torquay, TQ2 7EL

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

Torquay Boys' Grammar School has 1,120 pupils, instruction in English.

Location
Shiphay Manor Drive, Torquay, TQ2 7EL

Stages
11-18

Type
Boys' grammar school (single-sex)

Additional learning support
Inclusion; Wellbeing & Mental Health; Pastoral Care

Bus service
Public buses are provided by Stagecoach South West; routes include No. 12 from Brixham to Newton Abbot; No. 28 from Preston and Paignton to the school bus bay; No. 32C to Wellswood and St Marychurch. Contract coaches AB Coaches and Dartline Coaches operate routes to a wide area. Torre railway station is about a five-minute walk from the school, and travel assistance is available through Torbay Travel Assistance and Devon Travel Assistance.
Diving Deeper
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Fees
Application fees

- There is no application fee to apply for a place at Torquay Boys' Grammar School. Admissions and the selection test registration are not charged by the school.

Tuition fees (by year group)

- Torquay Boys' Grammar School is a state-funded selective academy. Education for Years 7–11 and for students aged 16–18 in the Sixth Form is provided without tuition charges to families; there are no termly or annual tuition fees.

Billing schedule and payment terms (for chargeable items)

- The school does not bill for core curriculum or admissions. Charges may be applied only for permitted items (optional extras, board and lodging on residential visits, private music tuition, materials asked to be owned by pupils, examination re-sits as specified in policy).
- Payment for trips and activities must be made in advance. More costly trips (over £100) may be paid in instalments as directed by the finance office. Where an external travel company requires a non‑refundable deposit, the initial deposit required from parents will match that sum and will be non‑refundable unless the school obtains a refund from the travel company.

Boarding fees

- Boarding is not offered: Torquay Boys' Grammar School is a day school (no boarding fees apply).

Other costs and fees (typical items and approximate amounts)

- Uniform and related items: A full uniform is required; badges and ties are available through the school shop and items may be purchased from high-street suppliers or from the Parents' Association pre-loved shop. The school will contribute towards uniform items for new Year 7 entrants who are eligible for Free School Meals.

- Trips, visits and activities: The school publishes typical approximate costs for curricular and extra‑curricular activities. Examples of published approximate costs include: team‑building (~GBP 25), river/fieldwork trips (~GBP 6–20), local day trips (~GBP 12–80), activities‑week residentials and international trips (~GBP 350–2,000+ depending on destination), and large overseas trips (examples listed up to ~GBP 1,500). Parents are asked to make voluntary contributions for some school‑day activities; residential elements (board and lodging) are chargeable except where remissions apply. Exact costs vary by activity and year group.

- Curriculum materials and optional items: Charges may be made where parents request to own finished materials (e.g., D&T materials) and for private music tuition. Public examinations for which students are prepared as part of the curriculum are not charged; charges may apply for private candidate entries or certain re‑sits as set out in policy.

Refund information

- Deposits: If a travel company requires a non‑refundable deposit from the school, the deposit required from parents will be non‑refundable unless the school is able to obtain a refund from the travel company.
- Refunds for cancellations or non‑attendance are handled in line with the school's Charges and Remissions policy and the terms of the organiser/travel company; voluntary contributions cannot be required and families who do not contribute are not treated differently, though activities may be cancelled if insufficient contributions are received. Remissions (full or partial waivers) for eligible families are available for some charges.

Financial assistance / remissions

- Remissions and bursaries: Financial support is available for students in specific circumstances. The school operates a remissions policy for trips and activities (linked to household benefit criteria) and a Sixth‑Form bursary scheme with eligibility bands (including care leavers, those in receipt of Free School Meals, and households below defined income thresholds). Remission and bursary applications follow the school's published procedures.

Fee payment options (how chargeable items are paid)

- The school uses standard cashless payment platforms for collecting payments from parents (ParentPay and the school's payment portal). ParentPay supports payment by card, bank transfer and PayPoint where enabled by the school; the payment platforms are used for items such as trips, uniform shop purchases, and other chargeable items.

Summary points for parents

- No application or tuition fees apply for Years 7–11 or for Sixth Form study. Charges only apply for permitted optional extras, certain residential elements (board and lodging), private tuition, and material/items parents choose to purchase.
- Typical out‑of‑pocket items include uniform, occasional departmental materials, and trip deposits/fees (amounts vary by year group and trip; examples are published by the school).
- Payment is handled via the school's online payment systems; advance payment is required for trips and instalments may be offered for higher‑cost trips. Remissions and bursaries are available for eligible families and the school's Charges & Remissions and Financial Assistance policies explain eligibility and procedures.
Academics

Torquay Boys' Grammar School teaches British Curriculum, IB (DP) for students aged 11 to 18.

Curriculum
Key Stage 3 (years 7–9) offers a broad and balanced curriculum including art and design, computing, design and technology, English, geography, history, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music and physical education; Personal, social health education, citizenship, careers education, sex education and religious education are taught in philosophy and applied ethics lessons. In Year 7 all students study Spanish; in Year 8 they choose a second language (German or Mandarin Chinese); science is taught in KS3 and completed in Year 9 when students transition to the GCSE course. Key Stage 4 (years 10–11) core subjects are English language and literature, mathematics, a modern foreign language, science (three separate GCSEs or a double science qualification), religious education, personal and social education (including citizenship) and physical education; students continue with one of the two languages studied in KS3 and must study two other subjects from history, geography, art, music, drama, media studies, physical education, design and technology, computing or the second language; information technology skills are developed across the curriculum. Key Stage 5 (years 12–13) offers the A‑Level curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma; on the A‑Level route students typically take 3–4 A‑Levels with up to five one‑hour periods per subject and may include options such as Extended Essay, AS Further Mathematics, GOLD Duke of Edinburgh's Award, AS Ancient History and AS Music. The IB Diploma is open to both male and female students; the Diploma requires three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects across six categories, plus the core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service). Girls can enter the Sixth Form for IB; boys may choose either A‑Levels or IB.

Exam Results
GCSE 2025: pass rate at grades 9–4 was 98%; top grades 9–7 accounted for 61%; 9–5 in English and Maths was 93%. In 2024 the Attainment 8 score per student was 68.6 and the Progress 8 score was +0.34. Sixth Form 2025: students can take either A levels or the International Baccalaureate; combined results show 70.5% of grades were A/A/B or 7/6, and 45.6% were A/A or 7/6; overall pass rate for all examinations sat was 98.7%. TBGS Graduate Destinations 2025 show 72% to Russell Group universities and 90% achieved their first-choice place, with graduates going to fields including medicine and some progressing to Oxford/Cambridge; one student listed to Princeton, USA.

Higher Education Progression
Graduate destinations for 2025 include 72% of TBGS graduates going to Russell Group universities and 90% achieving their first-choice place; graduates pursue courses in medicine, engineering, business, sciences and humanities, with entries to selective universities including Oxford and Cambridge and, in at least one case, Princeton, USA. The school notes strong progression to top UK universities and competitive programmes.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Year 7 entry is selective and determined by a two-test selection process. Two tests (English and Mathematics) are used, each lasting about 50 minutes; tests may be sat at TBGS or at another selective school, with special arrangements available on request if required. Registration for the entrance tests is separate from applying for a place and must be completed by the published deadlines. 2. Normal admission round: the statutory closing date for applications is 31 October 2026. Local Authorities coordinate applications for their area, and parents must submit a Common Application Form (CAF) to their Home LA by the deadline; offers are made on National Offer Day (the first working day of March 2027). The Published Admission Number (PAN) for Year 7 is 168. 3. Selection by Ability and Testing before Preference: candidates may sit the selection tests before the closing date (Testing before Preference). Registration to sit the tests closes at 12:00 noon on 4 September 2026, and the tests take place on 19 September 2026. Test outcomes are reported as Yes/No regarding whether the child meets the required standard, not as actual scores. 4. Late applications and late testing: if a candidate cannot sit the tests in September, late testing arrangements can be made; late testing may be used to determine waiting-list placement. 5. Waiting lists: the School maintains a waiting list for each year group (Year 7–13) throughout the year; positions are determined by ranking, oversubscription criteria and tie-breakers and are re-ranked whenever a place becomes available. Children admitted under the Fair Access Protocol have precedence over those on the waiting list. 6. Outcomes and offers: offers for Year 7 are made on National Offer Day (1 March 2027); sitting the test does not guarantee a place, and the CAF deadline remains essential. 7. PAN and priorities: Year 7 PAN is 168; there is no catchment or feeder-school priority published in the arrangements. 8. Additional information: further details are published in the Admissions Policy and related forms.

Scholarships
Financial Assistance is available to Sixth Form students who meet the Department for Education criteria. To be eligible, students must be under 19 on 31 August of the starting academic year and must satisfy residency criteria. To continue receiving a bursary, the student must have unauthorised absences no greater than 10%, must not breach the Sixth Form contract, and must provide receipts showing the money is spent on approved items. Category One includes looked-after or care-leaver status and certain benefit-related criteria; Category Two – Band A covers those eligible for Free School Meals or with household income below £17,500; Category Two – Band B covers those with household income below £25,000. Further information is provided in the bursary infosheet and related forms.

Waitlist
The School operates a waiting list for each year group (Year 7 to Year 13) throughout the respective school year. The waiting list positions are determined solely by ranking, oversubscription criteria and tie-breakers and are re-ranked each time a name is added or a place is offered. Children given a place under the Fair Access Protocol have precedence over those on the waiting list.
School Events
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