Colyton Primary Academy

About Colyton Primary Academy

Colyton Primary Academy sits right on the Devon local authority average for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, with 58% hitting that benchmark against the LA average of 57%. That places it in the middle of the pack locally — ranked 123rd out of 309 primary schools in the county — and nationally it falls in the 62nd percentile. Where the school really stands out is in its recent Ofsted journey. In its 2019 inspection it was rated Inadequate across the board, but the most recent graded inspection in October 2024 saw it jump to Good in every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. That's a significant turnaround, and the parent view backs it up — 97% of the 35 respondents would recommend the school, with 74% strongly agreeing their child is happy there.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed but solid. Writing is a clear strength, with 85% of pupils reaching the expected standard and 8% working at greater depth. Reading follows at 69% expected and 19% at greater depth, while maths sits at 58% expected and 12% at greater depth. The combined expected standard of 58% is bang on the LA average, but only 4% of pupils hit the higher standard across all three subjects, which is below the national picture. Average scaled scores tell a similar story: reading at 104 and maths at 100, both in line with typical expectations. The school doesn't publish progress scores for any subject, so it's hard to say how much value it adds relative to starting points, but the Ofsted team clearly saw enough in the classroom to award Good across the board, and parents overwhelmingly feel their children do well — 69% strongly agreed with that statement.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 26 applications for 19 places and all 19 first-preference offers going out, so demand is healthy. With 139 pupils on roll against a capacity of 175, there's still some room, but competition is real. Facilities include a gymnasium, sensory room, library, art studios and even a chapel, which is unusual for a state primary. Sports provision is broad — football, gymnastics, cricket, swimming, athletics, dance and cross country — and clubs include film club, drama and choir. SEND support covers moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health, speech and language, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder, though the parent view data on SEND support had no responses, so it's hard to gauge satisfaction there. This is a school that suits families looking for a small, community-focused primary in East Devon with strong recent improvement and a reassuringly positive parent body.

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