During the 1960s comprehensive schools were introduced as an alternative to the established selective system. While local districts were not forced by law to create comprehensive schools, they were encouraged to do so. By 1968, around 20 percent of children attended comprehensives.

Locally, Ivybridge County Secondary School closed its doors at the end of the summer term in 1971 to re-open in September of that year as Ivybridge Comprehensive School. Mr Gerald Bright, the newly appointed Headmaster commented that with the planned new building and facility programme, the school would be developed upon a Community College basis with various local associations able to take advantage of the school’s amenities.

Children were automatically accepted into a comprehensive school by satisfying non-academic criteria such as age and geographical location of residence. The new school at Ivybridge received children from a large catchment area and network of feeder primary schools, taking in Bigbury, Bittaford, Cornwood, Ermington, Holbeton, Ivybridge, Kingston, Lee Mill, Lutton, Modbury, Newton Ferrers, Noss Mayo, South Brent, Ugborough and Yealmpton. Pupil intake was almost 600 in this year with the non-selective entry and revised catchment area.

During the 1960s comprehensive schools were introduced as an alternative to the established selective system. While local districts were not forced by law to create comprehensive schools, they were encouraged to do so. By 1968, around 20 percent of children attended comprehensives.

Locally, Ivybridge County Secondary School closed its doors at the end of the summer term in 1971 to re-open in September of that year as Ivybridge Comprehensive School. Mr Gerald Bright, the newly appointed Headmaster commented that with the planned new building and facility programme, the school would be developed upon a Community College basis with various local associations able to take advantage of the school’s amenities.

Before the reforms of the Education Act of 1944, all children were taught in elementary schools up to the age of 14 which was considered to be the only education most needed. In Ivybridge, the all-age elementary school remained until the late 1950s but with the ever increasing numbers of school-age children in the village, together with the need to implement the changes to the education system under the Act, a new secondary school was required. Local Education Authorities had to submit proposals to the new Department of Education for reorganising secondary schooling in their areas and the first meeting of the new school’s governors at Ivybridge was held on 19 June 1957. Construction work on the new secondary school began in the same year.

The Education Act (or Butler Act) of 1944 provided fundamental reform replacing the former distinction between elementary and higher education by a new classification of three progressive stages, primary education, secondary education, and further education. Compulsory education was increased to the age of 15, with a clause to raise it to 16, together with the promise of free secondary education for all within a three-tier secondary state schooling system – the grammar school, modelled on elite public schools; the less intellectually rigorous secondary modern school, and the technical school, whilst church schools were brought into the national system. Children were directed to the appropriate school at the age of 11 by means of selection tests, the 11+ exam, taken on the completion of their primary education. Rab Butler, the President of the Board of Education, (a position now known as the Secretary of State for Education) hoped that this range of  schools would cater for all the different academic levels of children.

On 11 July 1958, Ivybridge Secondary Modern School was officially opened by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Sir Edward Boyle, who planted a commemorative tree near the school flagstaff. The school had an initial intake of 488 pupils and was well equipped with an assembly hall, gymnasium, library, 15 classrooms, specialist rooms for science, woodwork and metalwork, art & craft, housecraft, needlecraft, a kitchen for school meals, playing fields, school garden, cloakrooms, offices, staffrooms, store rooms and medical inspection room. The Headmaster was Mr K. A. Baker.

During the 1960s comprehensive schools were introduced as an alternative to the established selective system. While local districts were not forced by law to create comprehensive schools, they were encouraged to do so. By 1968, around 20 percent of children attended comprehensives.

Locally, Ivybridge County Secondary School closed its doors at the end of the summer term in 1971 to re-open in September of that year as Ivybridge Comprehensive School. Mr Gerald Bright, the newly appointed Headmaster commented that with the planned new building and facility programme, the school would be developed upon a Community College basis with various local associations able to take advantage of the school’s amenities.

Children were automatically accepted into a comprehensive school by satisfying non-academic criteria such as age and geographical location of residence. The new school at Ivybridge received children from a large catchment area and network of feeder primary schools, taking in Bigbury, Bittaford, Cornwood, Ermington, Holbeton, Ivybridge, Kingston, Lee Mill, Lutton, Modbury, Newton Ferrers, Noss Mayo, South Brent, Ugborough and Yealmpton. Pupil intake was almost 600 in this year with the non-selective entry and revised catchment area.

The school went on to become Ivybridge Community College under the leadership of Mr Geoff Rees CBE who was Headmaster for 22 years (1987 – 2009). During his time, P.E. Teacher Michaela Breeze won Gold in Weightlifting in the 2002 Olympics.

The college was awarded a sports specialism in 1997, a science specialism in 2004 and a third specialism in languages in 2005. It became an academy in 2010, independent of Devon County Council’s control.