Bideford College

Bideford College is a mixed secondary school and sixth form in Bideford in the English county of Devon.^[1] The principal is Claire Ankers.

Bideford College
Address
Abbotsham Road Bideford , Devon , EX39 3AR England
Coordinates	51.01591°N 4.21919°W / 51.01591; -4.21919
Information
Type	Academy
Local authority	Devon
Trust	Launceston College Multi Academy Trust
Department for Education URN	142540 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Principal	Claire Ankers
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	1,303
Capacity	1,744
Website	bidefordcollege.org

History

It is the only state-funded secondary school in Bideford.

On 28 June 2014 the then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, visited the college.^[2]

Previously a foundation school administered by Devon County Council, the school converted to academy status in March 2016. The school is now part of the Athena Learning Trust, but continues to coordinate with Devon County Council for admissions.

Site

The artificial grass sports pitch at Bideford College.

In January 2006, the college won its bid to build a new multimillion-pound school site. Construction began in the summer of 2008 and the first phase was completed in 2010, ready for the start of the academic year in September. The second phase of the building, the outdoor sport pitches, was completed in July 2011.^[3] The £55 million new school was built on the old site and includes a media suite, library, sports hall, a hall known as 'The Devon Hall', and an artificial grass sports pitch. £32 million was funded from the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.^[4]

Academics

Bideford College offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils, while students in the sixth form have the option to study from a range of A Levels, OCR Nationals and further BTECs.^[5]

Performance and inspections

As of December 2024, students at GCSE make 'below average' progress according to the Government's Progress 8 benchmark.^[6]

As of February 2025^[update], the school's most recent inspection by Ofsted was in 2022, with a judgement of Good.^[7] There were previous inspections in 2018, with a judgement of Requiring Improvement;^[8] 2015, with a judgement of Inadequate;^[9][10] and 2013, Requiring Improvement.^[11]

Athena Learning Trust

In September 2022 the school joined the Athena Learning Trust.^[12]