St David's CofE Primary School

St David’s CofE Primary is a friendly, close-knit school where pupils are happy, behaviour is mostly positive and staff are valued. The school has been through a period of leadership and curriculum change, but this has now settled, and the trust has supported improvements. The curriculum has been strengthened, particularly in reading, history and mathematics, so most pupils in Years 1 to 6 are learning well and achieving more. Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and well supported, and personal development is a notable strength, with the school’s values woven through pupils’ experience. The main area needing improvement is early years provision. The curriculum for the youngest children does not focus enough on the prime areas of learning, especially communication and language, and children are not consistently prepared for the next stage of their education. Some creative writing tasks are also pitched too high before pupils have developed sufficient speaking and listening skills. Occasionally, some pupils struggle to listen and follow instructions. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it took place after significant changes in senior leadership, with the current headteacher appointed in April 2024. The school is part of the Ventrus Multi-Academy Trust, and inspectors found that working with the trust is helping the school improve. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Friendly and welcoming school community with strong parental support
• Curriculum improvements are leading to better achievement in Years 1 to 6
• Early reading and phonics teaching are strong
• Writing curriculum is ambitious and raises expectations
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported
• Pupils behave well in and around school
• Personal development is well considered and values are linked to real life
• Trust collaboration supports improvement and staff feel valued

Areas for Improvement

• Early years provision requires improvement
• Early years curriculum does not focus enough on the prime areas of learning
• Communication and language development for younger pupils needs more attention
• Some creative writing activities are too difficult before pupils can speak in full sentences
• Some pupils occasionally struggle to listen and follow instructions
• Children in Reception are not consistently securing the knowledge they need for later learning

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 St David's CofE Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% 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, 2.1% of pupils at St David's CofE Primary 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 St David's CofE Primary School had 23.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.4% 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, 24.2% of pupils at St David's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.5% 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 St David's CofE Primary School received £8,451 and spent £8,474 for each of its 96 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £67,000 (£698 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

St David's CofE Primary School is part of The Harbour Schools Partnership, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Willowbrook School Exeter
• Woodwater Academy 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
• Wilcombe Primary School Tiverton
• Bolham Community Primary School Tiverton
• Sidbury Church of England Primary School Sidbury
• Sampford Peverell Church of England Primary School Tiverton

What is St David's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St David's CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was St David's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St David's CofE Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does St David's CofE Primary School have?

St David's CofE Primary School has 91 pupils on roll.

What age range does St David's CofE Primary School cover?

St David's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are St David's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St David's CofE Primary School?

St David's CofE Primary School is at Dinham Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4EE.