Diptford Parochial Church of England Primary School

About Diptford Parochial Church of England Primary School

Diptford Parochial Church of England Primary School holds a Good rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in November 2024, with all individual categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision — each judged Good. The school’s most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2, which stands at 45 per cent. That figure is notably below the Devon local authority average of 57 per cent, placing Diptford in the bottom half of primary schools within the South Hams district, where it ranks 28th out of 35 schools. The school’s national percentile of roughly 85 suggests that, while the combined measure is modest, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: reading performance is a relative strength, with 82 per cent of pupils reaching the expected level and 45 per cent achieving a higher standard.

Looking closer at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, reading stands out as the school’s strongest subject. The average reading score was 112, comfortably above the national benchmark of 100, and nearly half of pupils reached the higher standard. Maths was weaker, with an average score of 106 and only 36 per cent reaching the higher threshold. Writing saw 73 per cent of pupils meet expectations, with 18 per cent achieving a higher standard. The school’s overall ranking score of 45, based on the combined expected standard metric, places it in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. Ofsted noted that the school has maintained a Good rating since its previous inspection in 2013, when leadership and management were also judged Good. Parent feedback from the most recent Parent View survey shows 84 per cent of respondents would recommend the school, though concerns were raised about bullying being dealt with quickly and effectively, where only 20 per cent agreed or strongly agreed.

Diptford is a small Church of England primary school with 57 pupils on roll, well below its capacity of 96, and it offers nursery provision for children from age three. The school is oversubscribed for Reception places in 2025/26, with six applications for three places, all of which went to first-preference families. Facilities include a dining hall, art studios, a library, sports hall, ICT suite, chapel, and a forest school area. Sports offered include cricket, netball, swimming, rounders, gymnastics and dance, while clubs include art, science and gardening. The school provides support for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, and hearing impairment. This is a school that suits families who value a small, faith-based setting with a strong reading focus and a range of outdoor and creative activities, but who should be aware that overall academic outcomes in maths and writing are below the local average.

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