Brayford Academy

Brayford Academy is a small, nurturing primary school that is performing well, having achieved a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas. The school prides itself on creating a supportive environment where pupils feel valued and safe. Leaders have established a strong curriculum that emphasizes reading, and pupils engage enthusiastically in various extracurricular activities. While the school shows notable strengths in personal development and inclusive practices, including support for students with special educational needs, there are areas for growth, specifically in the effective use of assessment to enhance learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Supportive and nurturing school environment
• Ambitious and well-planned curriculum
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics from early years
• Positive relationships among pupils and staff
• Effective personal development programs for pupils
• Strong culture of safeguarding
• Engaged and motivated pupils in extracurricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment to check pupil knowledge retention

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 Brayford Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Brayford 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 Brayford Academy had 5.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 43.3% 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, 21.9% of pupils at Brayford Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.0% 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 Brayford Academy received £13,575 and spent £12,141 for each of its 29 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £80,000 (£2,764 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

Brayford Academy is part of Team Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Brayford Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brayford Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Brayford Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Brayford Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Brayford Academy have?

Brayford Academy has 32 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brayford Academy cover?

Brayford Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Brayford Academy?

Brayford Academy is at Brayford, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7QJ.