East-the-Water Community Primary School

East-the-Water Community Primary School remains a good school where pupils are happy and enjoy a vibrant community environment. Leaders have a strong understanding of their students and foster high expectations, resulting in warm and nurturing relationships that promote a safe atmosphere. The curriculum is designed to be broad and ambitious, with a particular focus on developing language and communication skills from the early years. While most subjects are well-structured, some newer curriculum areas have not yet fully secured their desired impact, leading to less secure knowledge in those subjects. Overall, the school effectively supports pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy a vibrant and welcoming school environment.
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Strong focus on language and communication skill development.
• Warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective teaching that builds on prior knowledge.
• Inclusive learning environment supporting all pupils' needs.
• Opportunities for extra-curricular activities enhancing pupils' experiences.
• Strong safeguarding measures in place.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum changes in some subjects are not yet embedded, affecting knowledge retention.

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 East-the-Water Community Primary School attended 95.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 1.3% of pupils at East-the-Water Community 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 East-the-Water Community Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.9% 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, 14.1% of pupils at East-the-Water Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 East-the-Water Community Primary School received £7,416 and spent £6,806 for each of its 417 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £923,000 (£2,217 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 Bideford · Devon local authority: places and applications

What is East-the-Water Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for East-the-Water Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was East-the-Water Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

East-the-Water Community Primary School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does East-the-Water Community Primary School have?

East-the-Water Community Primary School has 439 pupils on roll.

What age range does East-the-Water Community Primary School cover?

East-the-Water Community Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are East-the-Water Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is East-the-Water Community Primary School?

East-the-Water Community Primary School is at Mines Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 4BZ.