Southmead School

Southmead School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection. Pupils feel safe, valued, and enjoy their time at school, while displaying excellent behavior and engagement in their learning. The leadership team has implemented a broad curriculum and emphasizes the importance of reading, with effective support systems in place for all students, including those with special educational needs. Notably, the school fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where diversity and respect are actively taught and celebrated. While the school demonstrates several strengths, there is a recognized need to enhance the phonics curriculum to better support pupils with historical gaps in their phonological awareness. At times, students are provided with reading materials that do not align with their current understanding, impacting their ability to achieve reading fluency. Overall, the school is committed to continual improvement and ensuring that all pupils receive the best possible education.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and valued at the school.
• Strong emphasis on reading with a dedicated reading hub.
• Effective inclusion and support for special educational needs pupils.
• Positive behavior and low levels of disruption in lessons.
• Wide range of engaging extracurricular activities.
• Strong leadership that fosters a supportive working environment for staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Gaps in phonics knowledge among some pupils not always addressed effectively.
• Some reading materials are not well matched to pupils' knowledge.

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 Southmead School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.3% 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 Southmead 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 Southmead School had 20.8 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, 12.9% of pupils at Southmead School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 Southmead School received £7,603 and spent £7,514 for each of its 341 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £164,000 (£480 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 North Devon · Devon local authority: places and applications

Southmead School is part of Braunton Learning Co-Operative, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Caen Community Primary School Braunton
• Kingsacre Primary School Braunton

What is Southmead School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southmead School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Southmead School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southmead School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Southmead School have?

Southmead School has 341 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southmead School cover?

Southmead School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Southmead School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Southmead School?

Southmead School is at Wrafton Road, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2BU.