Kenton Primary School

About Kenton Primary School

Kenton Primary School sits in a tricky spot when you compare its headline metrics against the Devon local authority average for primary schools. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (the key stage 2 combined measure) is 57 per cent. At Kenton, that figure is just 33 per cent — a gap of 24 percentage points. That places the school 227th out of 309 primary schools in the county, firmly in the bottom half of Devon’s state primaries. It’s a small school with only 53 pupils on roll, well below its capacity of 105, and it’s oversubscribed for its 2025/26 reception intake — 14 applications for 8 places, with all 8 first-preference offers going out. So while the raw outcomes are below the LA norm, local demand suggests families see something worth fighting for.

Dig into the KS2 results from 2023/24 and the picture gets more nuanced. In reading, 78 per cent of pupils hit the expected standard — well above the national average — and the average reading score was 104. But maths tells a different story: only 56 per cent reached the expected level, with an average score of 101. Writing was the weakest area, with just 44 per cent at the expected standard. The proportion reaching the higher standard across all three subjects was 11 per cent, which is low but not unusual for a school of this size — small cohorts mean a single pupil can swing percentages dramatically. Ofsted’s most recent inspection in 2024 rated the school Good across every category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management. That’s a clean sweep, and it’s consistent with the school’s previous Good rating from 2013.

Kenton offers a solid range of facilities for a village primary: a library, ICT suite, sports hall, gymnasium, sensory room and even a chapel. Sports provision includes cross country, gymnastics, swimming, dance, athletics and netball, and there are clubs for coding, choir and art. The school has nursery provision for children from age two, and its SEND support covers social, emotional and mental health needs as well as speech, language and communication — two of the most common primary-phase needs. With only 9.4 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is less disadvantaged than many Devon primaries. This is a school that suits families who value a small, community-feel setting with strong Ofsted grades and a full range of facilities, but who are realistic about academic outcomes that sit below the LA average — and who may want to keep a close eye on maths and writing progress as their child moves through.

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