Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School

About Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School

Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School in Exeter is a state primary that is clearly in demand among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 73 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. Only 18 of those applicants listed it as their first preference, and all 18 were offered a place, suggesting that while the school is popular, it is not the very first choice for every family. The school currently has 332 pupils on roll, which is slightly above its official capacity of 315, indicating that it is operating at full stretch. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 13.7%, which is a useful benchmark for the area, though no local or national average is provided here for direct comparison. The school is non-denominational and co-educational, catering for children from age 3 through to 11, with a nursery on site.

Academically, Clyst Heath holds a Good rating from Ofsted, following its most recent graded inspection in 2013 and an ungraded inspection in 2023 that confirmed the school remains Good, albeit with some concerns noted. The previous inspection in 2009 had rated it Outstanding across leadership, early years provision and overall effectiveness, so the current Good rating represents a step down. No specific Key Stage 2 SATs results are provided in this data, so it is not possible to compare the school’s performance against the Devon local authority average of 57% achieving the expected standard. The school does not have a sixth form, as it is a primary, and its Ofsted report does not break down quality of education or personal development into separate grades for the most recent inspection, which limits the detail available on classroom outcomes.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a dining hall, music rooms, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields and a forest school, which supports outdoor learning. Sports on offer include football, rounders, athletics, dance and gymnastics, while clubs cover drama, choir and science. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language challenges, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Westclyst Community Primary School, 3.7 km away, which may be an alternative for families who miss out on a place here. Clyst Heath suits families who want a well-subscribed community primary with a nursery, a forest school and a broad SEN offer, but who are comfortable with a Good rather than Outstanding Ofsted rating.

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