The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School

About The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School

The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School is a state primary in East Devon, sitting within the Devon local authority. Among the 309 primary schools of the same type in the county, it ranks 162nd, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack. For context, the top-performing peers in the area are Stockland Church of England Primary Academy and Upottery Primary School, both of which achieve the highest possible ranking score of 100, followed by Berry Pomeroy Parochial CofE Primary School on 94. The Beacon itself is a small school with 166 pupils against a capacity of 210, and it operates as a Church of England voluntary aided school under headteacher Anne Billington. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2021, confirmed that the school remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2011, which rated it Requires Improvement. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 28 applications for 18 places, with all first-preference applicants offered a spot.

Academically, the school’s Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 year show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 50%, which falls below the Devon local authority average of 57%. In individual subjects, 67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 61% in maths, and 50% in writing. At the higher standard, 11% achieved the combined benchmark, with reading leading at 44% and maths at 28%. Average scaled scores were 106 in reading and 105 in maths, both slightly above the national baseline of 100. Progress measures are not available, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to starting points. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom 50% of primaries, sitting at the 77th percentile, and within the South West region it is at the 70th percentile. These figures suggest a school that delivers solid but not outstanding outcomes, particularly in writing.

The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, library, playing fields, sports hall, forest school and chapel, with sports such as swimming, netball, rounders, dance and cricket on offer. Clubs include drama, coding, choir and film club. The SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication issues, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 18.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. This is a school that will suit families seeking a small, faith-based primary with a strong pastoral and SEND framework, set in a rural Devon context. Its oversubscription and full first-preference uptake suggest it is well-regarded locally, even if its academic results sit below the county average.

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