Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy

About Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy

Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy is a Church of England state primary for mixed pupils aged 5 to 11, located in the East Devon area of Devon local authority. Within the local landscape of 309 same-type primary schools in Devon, it ranks 124th, placing it comfortably in the top half of the county. Its nearest top-performing peers include Stockland Church of England Primary Academy, Upottery Primary School, and Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. The school is led by headteacher Katy Allington and currently has 195 pupils on roll, which is above its official capacity of 154, indicating strong local demand. It holds a Church of England religious character and, in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding mark for personal development.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined was 58%, which sits just above the Devon local authority average of 57%. However, the school's ranking on this metric places it in the bottom 50% nationally, at the 60th percentile. Individual subject performance is stronger in reading, where 92% of pupils met the expected standard and 29% achieved a higher standard, compared to maths at 79% expected and 21% higher, and writing at 71% expected and 38% higher. The average reading score was 107 and maths 104. Ofsted's breakdown from the 2024 inspection rated quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all as Good, while early years provision was also Good. The previous inspection in 2018 had rated overall effectiveness as Good as well, so the school has maintained a consistent standard.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sensory room, ICT suite, sports hall, forest school, art studios, and a chapel. Sports on offer include gymnastics, rounders, netball, tennis, and athletics, while clubs range from drama and art to science, eco, film, and coding. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 30 total applications for 25 places, with all 25 first-preference applicants offered a place, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.2. This is a school that suits families seeking a Church of England primary with strong personal development provision, a good range of extracurricular activities, and a solid if not outstanding academic record, particularly in reading.

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