Chagford Church of England Primary School

About Chagford Church of England Primary School

Chagford Church of England Primary School is a state primary in West Devon that currently educates 140 pupils against a capacity of 210, meaning it has room to grow but is already generating strong local demand. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed: it received 21 applications for 17 places, with all 17 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.24. This suggests a school that families in the area actively want, even if it isn't yet full to the brim. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 9.4%, which is notably lower than the national average for primary schools (typically around 23-24%) and reflects the relatively affluent character of the surrounding Dartmoor-edge community. The school has a Church of England religious character and offers nursery provision for children from age two, making it a natural choice for local families seeking a full primary journey from early years through to Year 6.

Academically, Chagford performs around the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just a whisker below the Devon local authority average of 57%. The school's strongest subject at KS2 is reading, where 75% met the expected standard and 32% achieved the higher standard, while maths saw 61% at expected and 18% at higher. Writing was the weakest area, with 63% at expected and 15% at higher. Nationally, Chagford ranks in the bottom half of primary schools on the KS2 combined measure, sitting at the 67th percentile. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2022, the school was rated Good across all categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all scored 2 (Good). This is a consistent improvement from its previous inspection in 2011, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good but gave early years provision a lower score of 2.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a rural primary, including an ICT suite, art studios, playing fields, a forest school area and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, football, tennis, dance, rounders and athletics, while extracurricular clubs include chess, gardening, film club, book club, eco club and drama. For children with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment and multi-sensory impairment. Chagford is best suited to families living in or near the town who value a Church of England ethos, want nursery provision on site, and are looking for a Good-rated school with a manageable size and a strong sense of community. The oversubscription data suggests it's worth applying early, particularly for first-preference families.

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