St Leonard's (CofE) Primary School (VC)

About St Leonard's (CofE) Primary School (VC)

St Leonard's (CofE) Primary School in Exeter posts Key Stage 2 results that sit well above the Devon local authority average, a clear standout for parents comparing options. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined sits at 57 per cent, while St Leonard's achieves 73 per cent. That 16-point gap puts the school in the top quarter of primary schools nationally and third out of 17 schools within Exeter itself. The school's reading and maths average scores are also strong — 108 and 106 respectively — and the proportion of children reaching the higher standard in those subjects is notably high, with 49 per cent hitting the higher bar in reading and 40 per cent in maths. These figures suggest a school that consistently pushes attainment beyond what is typical for the area, which will appeal to families who place a premium on academic grounding from the start.

Academically, the picture is reinforced by Ofsted's most recent inspection in January 2025, which judged the school Good overall but awarded Outstanding for personal development and for leadership and management. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and early years provision were all rated Good. This is a step down from the school's previous Outstanding rating in 2015, but the inspection report notes strong leadership and a clear focus on pupil wellbeing. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 96 per cent of the 140 respondents would recommend the school, and 97 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy there. The school's ranking within Devon places it 35th out of 309 primary schools of the same type, comfortably inside the top 12 per cent of the county, and its national percentile of roughly 25 means it outperforms three-quarters of primary schools across England.

St Leonard's is a Church of England voluntary controlled school with a capacity of 630 and currently 611 pupils on roll, so it is running close to full. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, with 134 applications for 79 places and 72 first-preference offers made. The school has a below-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 10.6 per cent. Facilities include music rooms, a library, an ICT suite, art studios, a chapel and an outdoor playground, and the sports offering covers tennis, athletics, swimming, cricket, dance and netball. Clubs range from choir and drama to coding, science club, eco club and film club. SEND provision is broad, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a well-regarded, academically strong primary that suits families who value high expectations, a clear Church of England character and a wide range of enrichment activities.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Leonard's (CofE) Primary School (VC)

Helpful Guides for Parents