St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast
About St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast
If you’re a parent weighing up St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Buckfast, the numbers suggest it’s a popular choice locally. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school was oversubscribed: it offered 13 places and received 17 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1. 31. All 13 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which is reassuring if you’re considering it as your top pick. The school’s parent-view data isn’t published here, but the fact that every first-preference family got in — despite more applications than places — hints at a school that families actively want but that isn’t impossibly hard to secure a spot at. With 163 pupils on roll against a capacity of 110, it’s running above its official number, which often signals strong local demand. The headteacher is Sophie Kerswell, and the school is a Roman Catholic state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision available.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
17 Nov 2021Latest monitoring visit (17 Nov 2021): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 28 Nov 2016. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Breakfast club
07:30-08:30
After-school care
15:30-18:00
Source: st-marysrc.devon.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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