Montgomery Primary School

Montgomery Primary School is a good school across all judged areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and followed significant organisational change, including a new headteacher and new governors, as well as high pupil mobility that contributed to low outcomes in some 2024 national assessments, particularly the phonics screening check. Despite these challenges, the new leadership team has brought stability and a clear, ambitious vision, and pupils’ achievements are improving. The school sits at the heart of its community and pupils quickly feel welcomed, safe and a sense of belonging. Pupils behave well, understand British values, and benefit from a rich wider curriculum, trips and clubs. Pupils with SEND are identified early and access the same curriculum as their peers, and personal development is a notable strength through roles such as wellbeing team members and school parliament representatives. Attendance has improved because of strong work with parents and carers. The main areas for improvement are the variability in phonics teaching, which means some pupils do not develop phonics knowledge as quickly as they could, and the new governing body’s limited information to challenge and hold leaders fully to account. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff say they feel supported and valued.

Strengths

• Pupils are welcomed and quickly build a sense of belonging.
• Pupils feel safe and know they can speak to any adult if worried.
• The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Pupils behave well and follow the Monty Values.
• Pupils are polite and respectful to visitors and each other.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of British values and debate ideas.
• The wider curriculum provides a rich foundation of knowledge.
• Children in early years build a love of reading through stories and activities.
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and access the same curriculum.
• Personal development is strong, including wellbeing team and school parliament roles.
• Trips and clubs help pupils develop talents and interests.
• Attendance has improved through strong relationships with parents and carers.
• Staff feel supported and valued and are proud to be part of the school.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• There is variability in how well phonics is taught.
• Some pupils are not developing phonics knowledge and understanding as quickly as they could.
• Governors are new and do not always have sufficient information to challenge and hold leaders to account.
• In some areas governors do not gain the assurances needed for a fully informed view of the school.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Montgomery Primary School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.5% of pupils at Montgomery Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Montgomery Primary School had 18.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.1% of pupils at Montgomery Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Montgomery Primary School received £6,772 and spent £6,612 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £574,000 (£1,373 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Exeter · Devon local authority: places and applications

What is Montgomery Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Montgomery Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Montgomery Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Montgomery Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Montgomery Primary School have?

Montgomery Primary School has 437 pupils on roll.

What age range does Montgomery Primary School cover?

Montgomery Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Montgomery Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Montgomery Primary School?

Montgomery Primary School is at Redvers Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 1BS.