Southmead School

Type Primary / Foundation school
Age Range 4-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Wrafton Road
Braunton
Devon
EX33 2BU
Phone 01271812448
Reference Number 113139

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.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 364
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 46.98%
Girls: 53.02%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 17.3%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 15.7%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 26
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 25.2
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 26.6

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 18 23 41
2 32 29 61
3 22 22 44
4 22 25 47
5 32 31 63
6 23 36 59

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 84.9%
Asian, Other 2.2%
African 1.1%
White & Asian 0.8%
Mixed, Other 0.8%
White, Other 0.5%
Unclassified 0.5%
Indian 0.3%
White & Black (African) 0.3%
Caribbean 0.3%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 13 Mar 2023
Date Report
13 Mar 2023 School inspection
10 Nov 2020 Monitoring visit
23 May 2017 Short inspection
20 Mar 2013 Full inspection:
16 Mar 2011 Full inspection:
07 Dec 2010 Monitoring visit
16 Jun 2010 Monitoring visit
17 Mar 2010 Monitoring visit
09 Dec 2009 Monitoring visit
24 Jun 2009 Full inspection:
25 Sep 2007 Curriculum and development visit
29 Jun 2006 Full inspection:
05 Jun 2000 Full inspection

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.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 72%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 0%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 107
Maths 105

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 1.9
Writing -0.2
Maths 1.9

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Sample

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 7 1
Third Preference 4 0
From another Local Authority 1 0

Previous Years

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Name Distance
Caen Community Primary School
Caen Street, Braunton, Devon, EX33 1AD
0.53 miles
Kingsacre Primary School
Greenacre, Kingsacre Primary School, Braunton, Devon, EX33 1BQ
0.81 miles
Fremington Primary School
Beechfield Road, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3DD
2.55 miles
Georgeham Church of England Primary School
Putsborough Road, Georgeham, Braunton, Devon, EX33 1JT
3.01 miles
Instow Community Primary and Pre-School
Rectory Lane, Instow, Bideford, Devon, EX39 4LU
3.1 miles
Roundswell Community Primary Academy
Roundswell School, Claypits Road, Roundswell, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3WJ
3.58 miles
Sticklepath Community Primary Academy
Woodville Estate, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 2HH
3.79 miles
West Down School
West Down, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8NF
4.02 miles
Appledore School
Richmond Road, Appledore, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1PF
4.04 miles
Marwood School
Whiddon, Muddiford, Milltown, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4HF
4.04 miles
Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy
Abbey Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
4.09 miles
Pilton Infants' Academy
Abbey Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
4.16 miles
Yeo Valley Primary School
Derby Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7HB
4.6 miles
Ashleigh CofE Primary School
Bevan Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8LJ
4.77 miles
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
Jackets Lane, Northam, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1HT
4.86 miles
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple
Chanters Hill, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8DN
4.89 miles
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School
Seaview Road, Morwenna Park, Northam, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1EL
4.93 miles
Name Distance
Braunton Academy
Barton Lane, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2BP
0.05 miles
Pilton Community College
Chaddiford Lane, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1RB
3.87 miles
Pathfield School
Abbey Road, Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
4.05 miles
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