Kilmington Primary School

About Kilmington Primary School

Kilmington Primary School sits within Devon local authority and, among the 309 primary schools in the county, it ranks 237th. In the East Devon district specifically, it places 42nd out of 44 primaries, placing it firmly in the bottom half of local schools. The top-performing peers in the area — Stockland Church of England Primary Academy, Upottery Primary School, and Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School — all achieved perfect ranking scores of 100, a stark contrast to Kilmington's score of 14. The school is a small, mixed, state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with headteacher Lee White at the helm. It has no religious character and does not offer nursery provision. With just 70 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, it is under-enrolled, though it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, receiving 11 applications for its 8 places and offering all 8 to first-preference families.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, a significant drop from its previous Outstanding rating in 2013. The quality of education and leadership and management were both judged to require improvement, while early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes were all rated Good. At Key Stage 2 in 2023/24, just 14% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the Devon local authority average of 57%. In individual subjects, 57% met the expected standard in reading, 43% in maths, and 43% in writing. No pupils achieved the higher standard in any of the three subjects. Average scores in reading and maths were both 97, below the national benchmark of 100. Progress measures were not available for any subject.

The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, sports hall, playing fields, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports provision covers rounders, football, cricket and netball, and there is a good selection of clubs: book club, eco club, gardening, coding, art club and chess. SEND support is available for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering Kilmington, the key trade-off is clear: it is a small, community-focused school with a strong club offer and dedicated SEND provision, but its academic outcomes are among the weakest in the area and its Ofsted rating has slipped. It may suit families who prioritise a close-knit setting and pastoral strengths over league table performance, particularly those whose children have the specific SEND needs the school supports.

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