Stoke Gabriel Primary School

About Stoke Gabriel Primary School

If you are looking at Stoke Gabriel Primary School, the first thing to know is that local families clearly want a place here. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school received nine applications for just four places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.25. All four first-preference families were offered a spot, but with more than twice as many applicants as places, it is a competitive choice in the South Hams area. The school is a state primary for mixed genders, taking children from age 2 up to 11, and it currently has 86 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, so there is some physical room but demand is high. It does not have a religious character, and the headteacher is Alice Eeles. The school also offers nursery provision, which may be a practical draw for families with younger children.

Academically, the picture is more mixed. In its most recent ungraded Ofsted inspection in March 2024, the school was judged to remain Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. However, the key stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that only 29% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is well below the Devon local authority average of 57%. Reading was the strongest area, with 57% reaching the expected standard and 21% achieving a higher score, while maths saw 43% at expected and 14% at a higher level. Writing was weaker, with just 36% at the expected standard and none at the higher level. The school ranks 34th out of 35 primary schools in South Hams on this combined measure, placing it in the bottom 50 nationally. The average maths scaled score was 99 and reading was 103.

On the practical side, Stoke Gabriel offers a decent range of facilities for a small village school, including a dining hall, sports hall, playing fields, art studios, and a forest school. There is also a sensory room and a chapel on site. The school has identified SEND provisions for social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Clubs include science, coding, film, drama and choir, while sports on offer are rounders, dance, football and cross country. For families who value a close-knit, community-feel primary with strong parent demand, this school clearly appeals, but the academic outcomes are significantly below the local average, so it may suit families who prioritise the broader experience and pastoral environment over headline results.

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