Kentisbury Primary School

About Kentisbury Primary School

Kentisbury Primary School was rated Good in its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, a significant improvement from its previous overall rating of Requires Improvement. The school has held a Good rating across both leadership and management and early years provision since that 2016 graded inspection, and an ungraded visit in 2023 confirmed it remains Good. With just 44 pupils on roll against a capacity of 42, this is a genuinely small school where every child is known. The most telling academic metric for a primary of this size is the local authority Key Stage 2 average of 57, against which Kentisbury’s own results would be measured, though the school’s individual KS2 data is not published here. What is clear is that the school has turned a corner: the previous inspection found leadership and management requiring improvement, but the most recent graded inspection judged both leadership and early years provision as Good.

Academically, the school operates in a competitive local context. Within Devon’s 309 primary schools, only five are rated Outstanding, placing Kentisbury in the solid middle tier of Good schools. Its local peers include Stockland Church of England Primary Academy and Upottery Primary School, both of which achieved the highest ranking score of 100 in the LA’s comparative data. Kentisbury’s own Progress 8 or SATs scores are not available in this dataset, but the school’s 20.5 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average, suggesting it serves a community with above-average deprivation. The Ofsted report noted that early years provision is Good, and the school has provisions in place for pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulty and Social, Emotional & Mental Health needs, indicating a focus on inclusive support.

For families considering Kentisbury, the practical picture is one of a small, oversubscribed village school. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 20 applications for 18 places, with all 18 first-preference applicants offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.11. The site includes a Forest School, sensory room, library, art studios, playing fields and a chapel, alongside clubs such as gardening, science and eco club. Sports offered include swimming, netball, cross country and rounders. There is no nursery provision and no sixth form, as expected for a primary. This school will suit families who value a close-knit, rural setting with strong outdoor learning opportunities and a track record of improvement, but who are realistic about its size and the limited published academic data.

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