Woolsery Primary School

Woolsery Primary School is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good' across all key areas. Pupils display a strong love for learning and a positive attitude towards school life, benefitting from a nurturing environment that emphasizes kindness and support among peers. The ambitious curriculum, particularly in early years and phonics, is thoughtfully structured to foster independence and resilience, while parents appreciate the care provided by staff. Nonetheless, the school is aware of the necessity to enhance its wider curriculum, particularly concerning knowledge of world religions and cultures, and is actively working on these improvements.

Strengths

• Pupils show positive attitudes and love for learning.
• The school has a strong family ethos that promotes kindness.
• Staff effectively model consideration for others' needs.
• The curriculum for early years is well-structured and ambitious.
• Phonics instruction is delivered accurately, preparing pupils for fluent reading.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects in the wider curriculum are not as well established as core subjects.
• Governors have not prioritized quality education across the wider curriculum.
• Some subject leaders lack an informed overview of their responsibilities.

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 Woolsery Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.5% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Woolsery 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 Woolsery Primary School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 14.8% of pupils at Woolsery Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Woolsery Primary School received £9,393 and spent £9,987 for each of its 108 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £77,000 (£715 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

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

• Parkham Primary School Bideford
• Hartland Primary School Bideford
• Buckland Brewer Primary School Bideford
• Appledore School Bideford
• Instow Community Primary and Pre-School Bideford

What is Woolsery Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Woolsery Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Woolsery Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Woolsery Primary School have?

Woolsery Primary School has 108 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woolsery Primary School cover?

Woolsery Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Woolsery Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woolsery Primary School?

Woolsery Primary School is at Woolsery, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5QS.