St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy

About St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy

St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy in East Devon is a small Church of England primary that clearly appeals to local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 22 applications for just 15 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.47. All 15 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while demand is healthy, most families who put it first do get in. The school currently has 118 pupils against a capacity of 154, so there is some room to grow. ParentView data isn't available in the most recent records, but the oversubscription figures alone indicate a solid local reputation. The school is led by headteacher Donna Butler and serves children from age 2 to 11, though it does not have a separate nursery provision. Its Church of England character is reflected in facilities like a chapel on site, alongside a sensory room, library, music rooms, and a sports hall.

Academically, the picture is more mixed. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, the same grade it received in its previous inspection in 2020. The breakdown shows some areas performing better than others: behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were all rated Good, while quality of education and leadership and management were both judged as Requires Improvement. This suggests that while the school creates a positive environment for children, there are clear areas for development in teaching and curriculum delivery. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment is 57 per cent, but St Andrew's own KS2 results are not published in this data set. Across Devon, only five out of 309 primary schools hold an Outstanding rating, so a Requires Improvement grade is not unusual in this context.

For families considering St Andrew's, the school offers a broad range of activities and support. Sports include cross country, athletics, netball, dance, swimming, and gymnastics, while clubs cover book club, eco club, coding, and film club. The SEND provision is notably comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, and physical disability. This makes it a potentially strong choice for children with additional needs. The school is oversubscribed but not fiercely so, and with 15 first-preference offers matching the 15 places, it is accessible for families who live nearby and apply early. It would suit parents looking for a small, faith-based primary with good pastoral care and a wide range of enrichment activities, who are comfortable with a school that is actively working on improving its academic outcomes.

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