Lift Barton Hill

About Lift Barton Hill

Lift Barton Hill is a primary school in Torbay that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 81 applications for 47 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.72, meaning nearly two families applied for every spot. Of those, 48 put it as their first preference, and all 47 first-preference families were offered a place. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation. The school is led by headteacher Samantha Smith and was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023. Inspectors were particularly impressed with the early years provision, which earned an Outstanding rating, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership, and the quality of education were all judged Good. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the previous one in 2014 also grading overall effectiveness as Good.

Academically, Lift Barton Hill performs above the local average for Torbay. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 70% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 61%. That places the school 11th out of 29 primary schools in Torbay, putting it in the top half of the local league table. Nationally, it ranks in the 31st percentile among all primary schools. Looking at individual subjects, 80% met the expected standard in writing, 77% in maths, and 76% in reading. At the higher standard, 26% achieved that level in reading, 24% in writing, and 20% in maths. Average scaled scores were 105 in reading and 103 in maths. The school does not publish progress scores for these subjects, so it is not possible to compare how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school is a large primary, with 603 pupils on roll against a capacity of 674, and it has a nursery provision for children aged three and up. Just over 39% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and suggests a diverse intake. Facilities include music rooms, a library, a dining hall, and playing fields, with sports on offer ranging from football and cricket to swimming, gymnastics, athletics, and tennis. There is a good range of clubs including choir, coding, and film club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school provides support for a wide range of conditions, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder, as well as a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families who want a well-subscribed, Good-rated primary with strong early years provision and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those who value music and sport alongside academic achievement.

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