Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School

Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School is a highly inclusive school where pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning and behaviour is outstanding. Staff have high expectations, identify pupils' needs quickly and accurately, and provide strong pastoral support, so pupils feel safe and trust staff. Many pupils face barriers to learning, including a higher-than-average number of pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and the school's two specially resourced SEND provisions are well supported by staff expertise. The curriculum is ambitious and has been strengthened in response to low published outcomes, with a clear focus on fundamental learning such as number fluency and phonics. Reading is prioritised and most pupils become fluent and confident readers. Pupils benefit from a rich enrichment offer, a character curriculum, and roles of responsibility that prepare them well for the next stage. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and governors know the school well, providing appropriate challenge and support. Published outcomes do not yet reflect the difference the school's work is having on how well pupils learn across the curriculum. In addition, some monitoring does not analyse information with enough precision, meaning the school does not always have a fully formed view of patterns and trends over time, including for different pupil groups' attendance and access to enrichment.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive school with a clear and ambitious vision and values
• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes, with pupils who are respectful, caring and thoughtful
• Exceptional prioritisation of pupils' social and emotional needs
• Strong nurturing relationships and effective pastoral support that help pupils feel safe
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils gain confidence and resilience
• Reading is prioritised and most pupils become fluent and confident readers
• Curriculum is ambitious and increasingly meets pupils' needs, including addressing low starting points
• Rich enrichment offer, character curriculum and roles of responsibility prepare pupils well
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Governors know the school well and provide appropriate challenge and support

Areas for Improvement

• Published outcomes do not yet reflect the quality of education and pupils' knowledge and understanding
• Monitoring and analysis lack precision and do not consistently show patterns and trends over time
• Information about different pupil groups' attendance and access to the full enrichment offer is not analysed precisely enough

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 Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.6% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Ilfracombe Church of England Junior 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 Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School had 17.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.9% 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, 24.8% of pupils at Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 10 pupils.

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 Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School received £8,020 and spent £8,294 for each of its 326 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £73,000 (£225 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 Ilfracombe · Devon local authority: places and applications

What is Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School have?

Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School has 326 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School cover?

Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 37% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School?

Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School is at Princess Avenue, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 9LW.