Swimbridge Church of England Primary School

About Swimbridge Church of England Primary School

Swimbridge Church of England Primary School sits within Devon local authority, a small village primary with 83 pupils that serves the North Devon area. In the most recent local rankings for primary schools, it placed 175th out of 309 schools of the same type in the county. That puts it some way behind the top-performing peers in the area, such as Stockland Church of England Primary Academy and Upottery Primary School, both of which achieved a perfect ranking score, and Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School with a score of 94. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 24 applications for 13 places, with all 13 first-preference offers taken up, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.85. This suggests that while it may not top the league tables locally, it holds a steady appeal for families in the village and surrounding area.

Academically, Swimbridge’s most recent Key Stage 2 results from 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 47%, which is below the Devon local authority average of 57%. In reading, 88% of pupils achieved the expected standard and 41% reached the higher standard, both strong figures. Writing saw 71% at expected and 18% at higher, while maths had 53% at expected and 24% at higher. The average maths score was 102 and reading 109. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with all categories — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all judged Good. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Outstanding across the board.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, outdoor playground, dining hall, playing fields and a chapel, reflecting its Church of England character. Sports provision covers gymnastics, swimming, dance, rounders and cricket, while clubs include coding, book club, chess, eco club and art club. SEND support is available for pupils with moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a capacity of 105 and currently 83 pupils, there is some room for growth, though the oversubscription for 2025/26 suggests demand is strong. This is a school that will suit families looking for a small, community-focused primary with a religious foundation, where individual attention is possible and a broad range of extracurricular activities are on offer, even if academic outcomes sit around the local average.

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