The Erme Primary School

The Erme Primary School is a small primary in the Exe Valley & Moorsway Federation that has experienced significant leadership and staffing turbulence. Inspectors found a caring, inclusive school where safeguarding is effective, pupils feel safe and well supported, and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers is a clear strength. Personal development and wellbeing are also strong, with a broad enrichment offer, good pastoral care and a curriculum that helps pupils learn about safety, equality and diversity. However, the school is not yet providing a consistently high-quality education for all pupils. Outcomes in national tests and assessments are below national averages over time, and too many pupils leave without being fully prepared for the next stage of education. The main weaknesses are in the consistency and quality of teaching and curriculum implementation. Leaders have introduced an ambitious, better-sequenced curriculum and strengthened reading provision, but teaching does not always model learning effectively or deepen pupils' thinking, and historic gaps remain, particularly in older pupils' handwriting and times-table fluency. Behaviour is improving under a new approach, but staff do not always insist on the same standards in lessons, leading to wasted learning time and less positive attitudes for some. Some pupils are unkind to others and do not fully understand what bullying is. Early years provision also needs stronger teaching and adult interactions to maximise learning and language development. Leaders and governors know what needs to improve and are taking suitable action, with effective support from the federation and strong governance. Attendance is generally well managed, although persistent absence is above the national average. The school now needs to increase the rigour and pace of improvement so that recent curriculum work translates into consistently better outcomes and behaviour across all year groups. Context matters: the school has small cohorts and high proportions of pupils with SEN support and education, health and care plans.

Strengths

• Inclusive culture with swift identification and tailored support for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care.
• Strong personal development and wellbeing programme matched to pupils' needs and the local context.
• Effective pastoral care; pupils feel safe, cared for and trust adults.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Reading is taught effectively from Reception, with timely interventions for pupils who need to catch up.
• An ambitious, better-sequenced curriculum has been introduced, supported by professional learning for staff.
• Pupils with SEND and other barriers settle quickly and make progress from their starting points.
• Attendance is well overseen through strong relationships with parents and high expectations.
• Governance is knowledgeable and provides effective support and challenge.
• Behaviour is improving under a new consistent approach, with calm and respectful environments for many pupils.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips, residentials and community activities.
• Leaders have accurately identified priorities and are taking suitable improvement actions after instability.
• Staff feel well supported, and professional learning is building expertise.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not achieve well enough in national tests and assessments over time, and too many leave not fully prepared for secondary education.
• Historic curriculum weaknesses have left gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills, including older pupils' handwriting and times-table fluency.
• Teaching quality is inconsistent; staff do not always model learning effectively or provide activities that deepen thinking.
• Some pupils do not persevere with their work, build knowledge over time, or take pride in the work they produce.
• Behaviour expectations are not consistently applied in lessons, causing wasted learning time and less positive attitudes.
• Some pupils do not fully understand bullying, and unkind behaviour continues among some pupils.
• Early years teaching and adult interactions need improvement to maximise learning and language development.
• Persistent absence is above the national average.
• Leaders need to increase the rigour and pace of improvement to reassure an unsettled parental community and ensure consistent high-quality education.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are well below national averages, with wide disadvantage gaps in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The impact of recent curriculum and teaching improvements is not yet evident in published outcomes.

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 The Erme Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at The Erme 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 The Erme Primary School had 23.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 37.7% 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, 23.8% of pupils at The Erme Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ivybridge · Devon local authority: places and applications

What is The Erme Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Erme Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was The Erme Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Erme Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does The Erme Primary School have?

The Erme Primary School has 101 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Erme Primary School cover?

The Erme Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 13% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Erme Primary School?

The Erme Primary School is at Station Road, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0AJ.