Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School

About Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School

Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School is a small state primary in North Devon, currently home to 105 pupils against a capacity of 112, so it is running close to full but with a little breathing room. Its intake is notably less disadvantaged than the national picture: just 7.3 per cent of pupils qualify for free school meals, compared with a typical primary average of around 23 per cent nationally. That said, the school is genuinely popular with local families. For the 2025/26 reception intake, it received 15 applications for 12 places, making it officially oversubscribed, and all 12 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. The oversubscription ratio of 1.25 tells you that while competition exists, it is not fierce — a sensible, achievable target for parents in the catchment. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and takes children from age three, with nursery provision on site, so it suits families looking for a single setting from the earliest years through to Year 6.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025 judged it Good across the board — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all came in at Grade 2. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2011, when it was rated Outstanding overall. The inspection report itself is publicly available for parents who want the full detail. On the parent front, feedback is strong: 91 per cent of the 43 respondents would recommend the school, and 93 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy here. When it comes to academic expectations, 88 per cent felt the school has high expectations for their child, and 94 per cent agreed their child does well. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment sits at 57 per cent, though the school’s own KS2 results are not included in this data, so it is worth checking the latest published outcomes directly with the school or via the DfE performance tables.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, a sensory room and even a chapel. Sports on offer include football, rounders, cross country, cricket and dance, while clubs run the gamut from film club and chess to choir, science club and art club. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views on SEND support were more mixed: 54 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, but 23 per cent said they did not know, and 23 per cent disagreed. This is a small, community-focused school where the headteacher Ian Thomas is a known presence, and it will particularly suit families who value a close-knit rural setting with strong parent satisfaction and a manageable commute from villages around Barnstaple.

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