Buckfastleigh Primary School

About Buckfastleigh Primary School

Buckfastleigh Primary School was rated Good overall by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2024, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2021. The inspection report highlights particular strengths in early years provision, which was judged Outstanding, and behaviour and attitudes, also rated Outstanding. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits comfortably above the Devon local authority average of 57%, placing the school in the top half of primary schools nationally, ranked 6,228 out of 13,686. Within Teignbridge, it ranks 19th out of 43 schools on this measure. While the school's combined expected standard score of 64 is solid, the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is 12%, which is a more modest figure. Individual subject results show stronger performance in writing, where 92% of pupils met the expected standard, compared with 84% in both reading and maths.

Looking more closely at the academic picture, the school's average scaled scores in reading and maths are 106 and 104 respectively, both above the national benchmark of 100. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher standard in reading is 28%, in maths 24%, and in writing 20%. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The school's ranking on the combined expected standard metric places it in the top 50% nationally, at the 45th percentile, and in the top 40% of schools in the South West region. With 121 pupils on roll against a capacity of 280, the school is significantly under capacity, which may reflect local demographic trends or parental preferences. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 34.7%, well above the national average, indicating a higher-than-average level of disadvantage in the intake.

For families considering Buckfastleigh Primary, the school offers a range of facilities including a sports hall, gymnasium, library, playing fields, ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include dance, tennis, athletics, cross country, football and gymnastics, while clubs range from film club and gardening to drama, choir, science club and book club. The school supports a broad spectrum of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and other difficulties. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed, with 7 first-preference applications for 7 places and a total of 14 applications overall, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2:1. This suggests that while the school is popular locally, it is not fiercely competitive. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and does not have a nursery or boarding provision. It would suit families who value a Good-rated primary with strong early years provision and a wide range of extracurricular activities, particularly those in the Teignbridge area.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Buckfastleigh Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents