Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School

Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is performing well overall, having been judged good in each key area at its first routine inspection since 2015. The school has experienced leadership restructuring across its federation, and inspectors found an accurate understanding of strengths and priorities. Pupils are happy, proud and positive about school, behaviour is calm and orderly, and staff build warm relationships that help pupils feel cared for. The curriculum has been made more ambitious, pupils typically learn it well and are prepared for junior school, while wider development is a clear strength through enrichment and pupil leadership. Reading and phonics are prioritised effectively, and safeguarding is effective. The main areas for improvement concern consistency. In some subjects, work does not always match the high ambition of the curriculum or adapt well to pupils’ different starting points, which limits how deeply some pupils learn. Some pupils at the early stages of writing are given tasks beyond their transcription skills, so they do not secure handwriting, spelling and punctuation knowledge deeply enough. In the early years, some children do not consistently receive the support they need to develop personal, social and emotional development and other prime areas, leaving them less prepared for their next stage.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, proud and positive about school, with sensible behaviour and strong relationships with staff.
• Staff care deeply for pupils, and parents praise the school highly for its pastoral care.
• The curriculum has been made more ambitious and is typically taught well, preparing pupils for junior school.
• Wider development is a notable strength, with enrichment trips and pupil leadership roles such as wildlife champions.
• Reading is prioritised, with well-trained staff, closely matched phonics practice and strong support for pupils with gaps.
• Pupils write widely across the curriculum, and early years children choose to write independently using a range of materials.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school promotes an open, positive safeguarding culture.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school and use professional development to strengthen teaching.
• Pupils learn in a calm, orderly setting and understand the school’s ‘ready, respectful, safe’ expectations.
• Personal development is strong, including British values, mutual respect and mental health support.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, work does not consistently match the high ambition of the curriculum or adapt to pupils’ different starting points, limiting how deeply some pupils learn.
• Some pupils at the early stages of writing are given tasks beyond their transcription skills, so they do not secure handwriting, spelling and punctuation knowledge deeply.
• In early years, some children do not consistently receive the support they need to develop PSED and other prime areas, leaving them less prepared for the next stage.
• Teachers are sometimes unclear when pupils need additional support or further challenge, which can limit learning.

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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.0% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.9% 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, 15.8% of pupils at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 2021–22 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School received £5,249 and spent £5,421 for each of its 283 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £123,000 (£436 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School have?

Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School has 284 pupils on roll.

What age range does Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School cover?

Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?

Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is at Stoke Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX4 7DB.