Horrabridge Primary & Nursery School

About Horrabridge Primary & Nursery School

Horrabridge Primary & Nursery School is a state-funded mixed primary in West Devon, currently teaching 183 pupils against a capacity of 226, leaving it with around 19% spare places. That spare capacity is notable given the school is officially oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake: it received 37 applications for 19 places, with 19 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.95. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 25.7%, which is significantly above the national primary average of around 23% and suggests the school serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment. The school offers nursery provision for children aged two and runs a range of clubs including Coding, Book Club, Chess and Film Club. Its facilities include a Music Room, Library, Sensory Room and Gymnasium, plus outdoor Playing Fields and an Outdoor Playground. The headteacher is John Clarke, and the school has no religious character.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023, the school was rated Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Early years provision was also rated Good. This represents a downgrade from its previous inspection in 2011, when it was rated Outstanding overall. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 53% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the Devon local authority average of 57%. However, individual subject results were stronger: 94% met the expected standard in maths, 69% in reading and 72% in writing. At the higher standard, 19% achieved in reading and 6% in maths, but no pupils reached the higher standard in writing or the combined measure. The school’s average scaled scores were 104 in both reading and maths. Nationally, it ranks in the bottom 50% of primaries on the combined expected standard metric, sitting at the 73rd percentile.

The school’s SEND provisions specifically support pupils with Social, Emotional & Mental Health needs and Speech, Language & Communication needs, and the Sensory Room is a practical resource for those requiring a calm environment. Sports offered include rounders, football, cross country, dance, cricket and gymnastics. For families considering Horrabridge, the key takeaway is that while academic outcomes at the expected standard are below the local average, the school is popular enough to be oversubscribed, suggesting strong community ties. The high FSM proportion and the presence of a nursery make it a practical choice for local families, particularly those with younger children or those who value the range of facilities and clubs over headline exam results. With no sixth form and a primary-only age range, parents will need to plan for secondary transition, but within its phase the school offers a broad-enough package for a village primary.

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