Homelands Primary School

About Homelands Primary School

Homelands Primary School in Torbay is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 3 to 11, and its headline Key Stage 2 results sit below the local authority average. In the 2023/24 academic year, 50% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Torbay average of 61%. That gap of 11 percentage points places the school 23rd out of 29 primaries in the authority, putting it in the bottom half locally and the bottom 50% nationally. The school’s ranking score of 50 reflects this, and it sits well behind the top three local peers — Hayes School, Roselands Primary and Galmpton Church of England Primary — which all score 79 or above. However, the picture is not uniformly below average. In reading, 73% of pupils met the expected standard, and the average reading score of 105 is solid. Maths also holds up reasonably well, with 63% reaching the expected standard and an average score of 103. The real challenge lies in writing, where only 57% met the expected standard, and just 7% reached the higher standard.

Ofsted last inspected the school in December 2021 and rated it Good across the board, including for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This was a consistent improvement on the previous inspection in 2015, which had also rated overall effectiveness as Good but gave early years provision a Requires Improvement. So the school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the most recent showing stronger early years provision. The school has 207 pupils against a capacity of 236, and a high proportion — 36.1% — are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. This context matters when interpreting the KS2 results, as schools with higher levels of disadvantage often face additional challenges. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment data suggests there is room for improvement, particularly in writing.

Homelands offers a broad set of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, art studios, a library, a sensory room, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include athletics, gymnastics, swimming, rounders, cricket and tennis, and there are clubs for drama, coding, art and eco activities. The school has a nursery provision, so families can start their child from age three. For pupils with additional needs, the school has identified provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed: 23 first-preference applications were made for 23 places, but total applications reached 52, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.26. This suggests strong local demand despite the below-average headline results, likely because families value the school’s inclusive ethos, its Good Ofsted rating, and the range of facilities and support on offer. This is a school that suits families who prioritise a supportive, well-resourced environment over top-tier academic rankings.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Homelands Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents