School profile

The Park Community School

Secondary · Academy converter · Barnstaple, EX32 9AX

Good

Map showing The Park Community School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,385 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

The Park Community School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Jun 2025

Area360 rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,408
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Vicky Owen
TrustTHE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
Local authorityDevon
Opened01 Feb 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 146094.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolDevonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.47.545.646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.73.6%65.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.52.9%45.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.4%12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67.5%60%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4280--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census. School places come from the DfE capacity survey and do not include nursery, so unfilled places compare them with pupils outside nursery.

MeasureThis school
Pupils1,408
Girls694
Boys714
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.26.7%
First language not English3.8%
School places2024/251,500
Unfilled places6.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.177
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.49
Average class size25

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
87.6%
Other White
3.1%
White and Asian
1.6%
Other mixed
1.5%
African
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
White and Black African
0.5%
Indian
0.4%
Other ethnic group
0.4%
Pakistani
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17.7
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.3
Teachers (FTE)79.75
Teaching assistants (FTE)32.86
Support staff (FTE)75.03
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2578.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2572
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.9
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.5

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.252
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.315
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.252
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.252
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolDevonEngland
Overall absence9.4%9.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.24.2%24.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.4%5.1%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate33.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions4

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.91.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.79.9%
Further education78%
Apprenticeship6.7%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.7%
Employment4.7%
School sixth form2%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near The Park Community School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryNewport Community School Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimaryEden Park AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryAshleigh CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryOur Lady's Catholic Primary School, BarnstapleAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryYeo Valley Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.0 miPrimaryBishops Tawton Primary SchoolFoundation school
Good
1.3 miPrimaryOrchard Vale Community SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryPilton Infants' AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimaryPilton Bluecoat Church of England AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimarySticklepath Community Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Park Community School

What is The Park Community School's Ofsted rating?

The Park Community School is rated Good, last inspected on 3 Jun 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does The Park Community School rank in England?

The Park Community School ranks 1,385 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).

What are The Park Community School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 52.9% of pupils at The Park Community School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 47.5 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into The Park Community School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Park Community School made 252 offers from 315 applications (1.3 per offer), and 252 of 252 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Park Community School?

The Park Community School has 1,408 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of The Park Community School?

The Park Community School had 1,500 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Park Community School have a sixth form?

No, The Park Community School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at The Park Community School?

At The Park Community School, the average class had 25 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17.7 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Park Community School?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Park Community School missed 9.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 24.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.