Woodwater Academy

Woodwater Academy is performing well overall, with a 'Good' rating across most inspected domains and 'Outstanding' in personal development. The school fosters a positive, inclusive environment where pupils feel happy and safe, and parents commend the high level of care and support offered to students. Pupils engage enthusiastically with the curriculum and have access to a variety of extracurricular activities, significantly enhancing their personal development and social skills. However, there are areas where assessment strategies could improve to ensure all pupils possess a thorough understanding of the curriculum material.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit positive behaviour and cooperate well with each other.
• The school has high expectations for pupil achievement.
• A broad and ambitious curriculum is in place.
• Personal development opportunities are exceptional.
• Effective support is provided for pupils with special educational needs.
• Pupils demonstrate a strong understanding of equality and diversity.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment methods in some subjects do not effectively identify gaps in pupil 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 Woodwater Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.2% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Woodwater Academy 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 Woodwater Academy had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 22.8% of pupils at Woodwater Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.0% 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.

In 2024–25 Woodwater Academy received £7,679 and spent £6,937 for each of its 325 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £214,000 (£659 per pupil).

Across all 35 schools of The Harbour Schools Partnership, income was £6,261 and spending £6,333 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 Exeter · Devon local authority: places and applications

Woodwater Academy is part of The Harbour Schools Partnership, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Willowbrook School Exeter
• St David's CofE Primary School Exeter
• St Martin's CofE Primary & Nursery School Exeter
• The Duchy School Bradninch Exeter
• Bickleigh on Exe Church of England Primary School Tiverton
• St Andrew's Primary School Cullompton
• Sidbury Church of England Primary School Sidbury
• Wilcombe Primary School Tiverton
• Bolham Community Primary School Tiverton
• Sampford Peverell Church of England Primary School Tiverton

What is Woodwater Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Woodwater Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Woodwater Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Woodwater Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Woodwater Academy have?

Woodwater Academy has 329 pupils on roll.

What age range does Woodwater Academy cover?

Woodwater Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Woodwater Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Woodwater Academy?

Woodwater Academy is at Woodwater Lane, Exeter, Devon, EX2 5AW.