Holbeton Primary School

About Holbeton Primary School

Holbeton Primary School is a small state primary in South Hams, Devon, and the numbers suggest it is a school that local families feel confident about. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received exactly seven first-preference applications for its seven available places, meaning every family who put it first got a spot. That is a clean oversubscription ratio of 1.0, which indicates a steady, local demand rather than a scramble. The school is not oversubscribed, but it is also not undersubscribed — it is matching supply to demand neatly. With just 67 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, there is plenty of room for growth, and the 4.5 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is notably low, suggesting a relatively affluent intake. The headteacher, Sarah Honywill, leads a school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted since at least 2014, and the most recent inspection in November 2022 confirmed that rating across the board, with an Outstanding mark for early years provision.

Academically, Holbeton’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 33 per cent, which is well below the Devon local authority average of 57 per cent. That places the school 228th out of 309 primaries in the county and in the bottom 50 nationally on this metric. However, the breakdown shows real variation: 67 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, and 56 per cent did so in maths, but only 33 per cent reached it in writing. Reading also saw a strong showing at the higher standard, with 33 per cent achieving that level, while maths and writing had none. The average reading score was 104, and the average maths score was 99. Progress scores are not available, so it is hard to say how much value the school adds, but the data suggests that reading is a relative strength while writing is an area of focus.

The school offers a nursery provision for children from age two, which is a practical bonus for working parents. Facilities include an art studio, ICT suite, gymnasium, sports hall and even a chapel, which is unusual for a state primary of this size. Sports on offer include rounders, athletics, cricket and cross country, and there are clubs for coding, film and chess. The school’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Given the small cohort and the calm admissions picture, Holbeton is likely to suit families who want a close-knit, rural primary where their child is known individually, and who are comfortable with a school that is not pushing the highest academic outcomes but offers a broad range of activities and a strong early years start.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Holbeton Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents