Oldway Primary School

Oldway Primary School is performing well under the new leadership since September 2022, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspection categories. The school has successfully implemented a broad and well-planned curriculum that enhances students' knowledge retention, particularly in reading and early years education. The positive atmosphere and inclusive environment are reflected in students' pride in attending the school and their active involvement in community service and leadership roles. The school has made significant strides in improving educational outcomes since its first inspection as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 after a lengthy gap due to prior exemption from routine inspections.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud to attend and engage actively in school values.
• Significant improvements made to the curriculum to enhance learning.
• Strong focus on reading with a well-stocked library and phonics program.
• Early years provision fosters curiosity and learning through exploration.
• Variety of leadership roles available for pupils to enhance personal development.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers' use of assessment is variable, leading to misconceptions in some pupils.
• The evaluation of new initiatives is not thorough, impacting understanding of their effectiveness.

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 Oldway Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.5% 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, 2.3% of pupils at Oldway Primary School 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 Oldway Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Oldway Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Oldway Primary School received £6,506 and spent £6,165 for each of its 640 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £161,000 (£251 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Riviera Education Trust, income was £6,571 and spending £6,580 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 Paignton · Torbay local authority: places and applications

Oldway Primary School is part of Riviera Education Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Roselands Primary School Paignton
• Shiphay Learning Academy Torquay

What is Oldway Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oldway Primary School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Oldway Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oldway Primary School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Oldway Primary School have?

Oldway Primary School has 598 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oldway Primary School cover?

Oldway Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oldway Primary School?

Oldway Primary School is at Higher Polsham Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2SY.