Instow Community Primary and Pre-School

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School is recognized as a good school, continuing its strong performance. Pupils thrive within an inclusive environment, displaying positive behaviors aligned with the school’s values. The leaders and staff maintain high expectations, fostering respectful relationships and ensuring pupils feel safe and supported. The school promotes a variety of experiences that prepare students for future challenges, leading to a proud and engaged student body. However, there are weaknesses in the wider curriculum implementation, which can hinder the consistent depth of knowledge across subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy reading and receive effective support in developing their reading skills.
• High-quality training provided to staff enhances learning outcomes.
• Strong emphasis on early reading and mathematics leads to confident learners.
• Inclusive environment supports all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff contribute to a calm learning atmosphere.
• Diverse personal development opportunities within the curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the wider curriculum affects depth of 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 Instow Community Primary and Pre-School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.4% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Instow Community Primary and Pre-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 Instow Community Primary and Pre-School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Instow Community Primary and Pre-School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Instow Community Primary and Pre-School received £7,084 and spent £6,920 for each of its 136 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £96,000 (£705 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

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School is part of Atlantic Coast Co-Operative Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Appledore School Bideford
• Buckland Brewer Primary School Bideford
• Parkham Primary School Bideford
• Woolsery Primary School Bideford
• Hartland Primary School Bideford

What is Instow Community Primary and Pre-School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Instow Community Primary and Pre-School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Instow Community Primary and Pre-School last inspected by Ofsted?

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Instow Community Primary and Pre-School have?

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School has 136 pupils on roll.

What age range does Instow Community Primary and Pre-School cover?

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Instow Community Primary and Pre-School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Instow Community Primary and Pre-School?

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School is at Rectory Lane, Instow, Bideford, Devon, EX39 4LU.