Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is performing well overall, with an overall effectiveness rating of 'Good'. The school fosters a nurturing environment where pupils feel happy and safe, demonstrated by positive attitudes towards learning and strong support from parents. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with a strong emphasis on reading, and pupils are engaged in various leadership roles that promote personal development and community values. However, there are identified areas for improvement related to the assessment accuracy in some subjects and the support offered to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a nurturing environment.
• High expectations for all pupils to succeed.
• Strong community values instilled through various leadership roles.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum designed to promote equality.
• Effective behaviour management leading to positive attitudes and high attendance.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not effective in some subjects, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Some pupils with SEND do not receive adequate support, particularly with reading.

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 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.6% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.1% 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, 12.3% of pupils at Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 2024–25 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy received £6,653 and spent £6,827 for each of its 255 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £320,000 (£1,256 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Team Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,762 and spending £7,809 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is part of Team Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Pilton Infants' Academy Barnstaple
• Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School Barnstaple
• Umberleigh Primary Academy Umberleigh
• Brayford Academy Barnstaple
• High Bickington Church of England Primary Academy Umberleigh
• Beaford Community Primary & Nursery School Winkleigh
• Witheridge Church of England Primary Academy Tiverton

What is Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy have?

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy has 261 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy cover?

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy?

Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is at Abbey Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU.