The Lodestar Academy
1 live vacancyTorquay · Torbay
THE THINKING SCHOOLS ACADEMY TRUST is a Multi-academy trust. The trust operates 26 member schools: 14 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, 1 alternative provision setting. Local authorities: Essex | Kent | Medway | Plymouth | Portsmouth | Torbay. Regions: East of England | South East | South West. — from the THE THINKING SCHOOLS ACADEMY TRUST public record.
The Lodestar Academy is a other academy in Torquay, Torbay, part of THE THINKING SCHOOLS ACADEMY TRUST. It is currently hiring, with 1 live vacancy on SchoolJobs.
The Lodestar Academy is a other academy in Torquay, Torbay. View current jobs, teaching vacancies and school support roles posted by the school.
Current vacancies at The Lodestar Academy
1 live vacancy- Apply
Catering Assistant
Torquay· 13.30Direct with schoolPosted 7 Nov 2026· Closes 22 Nov 2026Advertised by the school
After your claim is approved. Applicants are applications made through SchoolJobs; boost packages are optional.
Salary intelligence
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Working at The Lodestar Academy
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School information
- Official name
- The Lodestar Academy
- Address
- South Parks Road
- Postcode
- TQ2 8JE
- Country
- England
- Local authority
- Torbay
- Parliamentary constituency
- Torbay
- URN (official identifier)
- 144031
- Establishment number
- 1100
- School status
- Open
- Education phase
- Other
- Age range
- 11–16 years
- Gender intake
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Number of pupils
- 38
- As of November 2026
- Capacity
- 56
- School type
- Alternative provision academy (sponsor led)
- Governance
- Academy
- Academy trust
- THE THINKING SCHOOLS ACADEMY TRUST
- Local authority
- Torbay
- Headteacher
- Ms Beth Woodward
- Ofsted inspection
- Good · Inspected 21 Nov 2023Source: Ofsted management information · 30 Sep 2026 · Open Government Licence v3.0
- Telephone
- 03333602240
- Date opened
- 1 Apr 2017
Source: get-information-schools.service.gov.uk . Official data last refreshed November 2026.
Pupils at The Lodestar Academy
| 2025/26 | This school | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils | 38 | 19,404 | 8,355,420 |
| Eligible for free school meals | 76.3% | 27.0% | 26.5% |
| SEN support | 97.4% | 14.3% | 14.6% |
| Education, health and care plan (EHCP) | 2.6% | 6.8% | 5.9% |
| First language other than English (EAL) | 0.0% | 7.4% | 21.6% |
Local authority and England figures are calculated from the same DfE school-level files across state-funded schools.
Source: Department for Education, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and Special educational needs in England , academic year 2025/26. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted inspection history
7 published inspections for The Lodestar Academy, including inspections of the school it replaced.
· Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1
Read reportOverall effectiveness: Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Safeguarding is effective
- Yes
- Effectiveness of leadership and management
- Good
Report published 15 Jan 2024
· Academy First Section 5
Read reportOverall effectiveness: Requires improvement
- Personal development
- Good
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Safeguarding is effective
- Yes
- Effectiveness of leadership and management
- Good
Report published 2 Mar 2020
· Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1
Read reportInspected as Torbay School (URN 134126)
Overall effectiveness: Inadequate
- Category of concern
- SM
- Outcomes for pupils
- Inadequate
- Is safeguarding effective
- No
- Effectiveness of leadership and management
- Inadequate
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare
- Inadequate
- Quality of teaching, learning and assessment
- Inadequate
Report published 10 Mar 2016
· S5 Inspection
Read reportInspected as Torbay School (URN 134126)
Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement
- Pupils' achievement
- Requires improvement
- Quality of teaching
- Requires improvement
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and safety of pupils
- Requires improvement
Report published 6 Nov 2013
· Notice to Improve S5 ReInspection
Read reportInspected as Torbay School (URN 134126)
Overall effectiveness: Satisfactory
- Pupils' achievement
- Satisfactory
- Quality of teaching
- Satisfactory
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Behaviour and safety of pupils
- Satisfactory
Report published 5 Jan 2012
· S5 Inspection
Read reportInspected as Torbay School (URN 134126)
Overall effectiveness: Inadequate
- Category
- NTI
- Pupils' achievement
- Inadequate
- Quality of teaching
- Inadequate
- Leadership and management
- Satisfactory
- Behaviour and safety of pupils
- Satisfactory
Report published 23 Nov 2010
· S5 Inspection
Read reportInspected as Torbay School (URN 134126)
Overall effectiveness: Satisfactory
- Pupils' achievement
- Satisfactory
- Quality of teaching
- Satisfactory
- Leadership and management
- Satisfactory
- Behaviour and safety of pupils
- Good
Report published 28 Apr 2008
Source: Ofsted, State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (files from 2005 to the latest monthly release; data checked 6 Nov 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Pupil premium at The Lodestar Academy
Deprivation pupil premium allocation for 2026 to 2027: £33,000 for 30 eligible pupils.
| Financial year 2026-27 | This school | Torbay | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils eligible | 79.0% | 28.1% | 27.7% |
| Allocation per pupil on roll | £868 | £373 | £370 |
Deprivation pupil premium only; service child and looked-after children premiums are not published per school. Local authority and England figures use the same file.
Source: Department for Education, Pupil premium allocations 2026 to 2027 (September 2026) . Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
School finances at The Lodestar Academy
2024/25 academic year (academy accounts return) · Alternative provision · 48 pupils. Excludes the trust's central costs.
| This school | England average (per pupil · % of spend) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £1,474,000 £30,708 per pupil | £33,057 |
| Total spending | £1,139,000 £23,729 per pupil | £30,077 |
| Teaching staff | £636,000 £13,250 per pupil · 55.8% | £13,382 · 44.5% |
| Education support staff | £194,000 £4,042 per pupil · 17.0% | £5,707 · 19.0% |
| Supply and agency staff | £53,000 £1,104 per pupil · 4.7% | £1,456 · 4.8% |
| …of which agency supply | £53,000 £1,104 per pupil · 4.7% | £1,324 · 4.4% |
| In-year balance | £335,000 | |
| Revenue reserve | £0 | |
Previous year (2023/24): spending £28,063 per pupil, supply and agency £521 per pupil — spending down £4,333 per pupil on 2023/24.
Not enough schools of this phase in the local authority to compare.
Finance data is from the official return for that year and may not reflect the school's current position. Averages are pupil-weighted and use the same return, year and phase.
Full detail on DfE's Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool · Local authority finance averages
Source: Department for Education, Academies Accounts Return 2024/25 via FBIT data sources, checked 6 Nov 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Torbay council: term dates · school admissions (academies and independent schools may set their own dates — check with The Lodestar Academy)
Where is The Lodestar Academy?
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The Lodestar Academy is part of THE THINKING SCHOOLS ACADEMY TRUST
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Information we do not currently hold
SchoolJobs publishes only information it can evidence. The following is not available for The Lodestar Academy.
- We do not yet hold enough vacancy history to describe hiring patterns at this school.
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- Training and development information for this school is not published yet.
Data accuracy
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- Information source
- Get Information About Schools (DfE)
- Last updated
- 5 Nov 2026