Hawkchurch Church of England School

Hawkchurch Church of England School is a small, nurturing primary school that inspectors found to be performing well overall. Pupils are happy, feel well supported and benefit from strong relationships with staff, an ambitious curriculum and high expectations. Reading is a particular strength, early years provision prepares children well, and pupils’ wider development is enriched through community activities and responsibilities. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and trust support is valued by staff. The main areas for improvement relate to precision. Some pupils with SEND receive strong pastoral support but their learning is not always adapted sharply enough to meet their academic needs. In some subjects, learning activities are not designed as effectively as they could be, with too much coverage or insufficient prioritisation of key concepts, which can limit how deeply pupils build and remember knowledge. A small number of pupils and families also need continued support to overcome barriers to regular attendance, although the school’s work in this area is having a positive impact. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic for this Church of England school, which is part of First Federation Trust and provides early education for two-year-old children. The school was previously judged good and remains well placed, with no overall effectiveness grade awarded under the current inspection framework.

Strengths

• Nurtures pupils' individuality within a warm, inclusive school community
• Delivers an ambitious curriculum with high expectations for pupils
• Uses flexible provision to identify and reduce barriers to learning
• Builds strong staff-pupil relationships based on detailed knowledge of pupils
• Creates a happy school where pupils get along and support each other
• Designs a well-sequenced curriculum supported by secure subject knowledge
• Prioritises early language development through songs, rhymes and stories
• Checks pupils' knowledge effectively and helps them recall prior learning
• Makes reading a priority and supports pupils to become fluent, confident readers
• Identifies pupils with SEND quickly and provides strong pastoral support
• Enriches personal development through faith, culture, health and community activities
• Sets clear behaviour expectations and fosters pride in the school
• Benefits from effective trust support and challenge that supports staff workload and well-being
• Has effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• SEND provision is not precise enough to meet some pupils' academic needs, even though pastoral support is strong
• Some learning activities are not designed effectively to consolidate knowledge and secure new learning
• In some areas, the curriculum tries to cover too much or does not prioritise the most important concepts
• A small number of pupils and families face barriers to regular attendance, though support is having a positive impact

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 Hawkchurch Church of England School attended 91.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% 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 Hawkchurch Church of England 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 Hawkchurch Church of England School had 14.8 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, 34.9% of pupils at Hawkchurch Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.7% 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 Hawkchurch Church of England School received £11,495 and spent £11,337 for each of its 39 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £11,000 (£277 per pupil).

Across all 29 schools of The First Federation Trust, income was £7,461 and spending £7,535 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 Axminster · Devon local authority: places and applications

Hawkchurch Church of England School is part of The First Federation Trust, which runs 29 schools. The nearest others:

• Marshwood CofE Primary Academy Bridport
• Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Thorncombe
• Axminster Community Primary Academy Axminster
• St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy Axminster
• Mrs Ethelston's CofE Primary Academy Lyme Regis
• Charmouth Primary School Bridport
• Membury Primary Academy Axminster
• Musbury Primary School Axminster
• Colyton Primary Academy Colyton
• Loders CofE Primary Academy Bridport

What is Hawkchurch Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hawkchurch Church of England School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Hawkchurch Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hawkchurch Church of England School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Hawkchurch Church of England School have?

Hawkchurch Church of England School has 43 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hawkchurch Church of England School cover?

Hawkchurch Church of England School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

Where is Hawkchurch Church of England School?

Hawkchurch Church of England School is at Hawkchurch, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5XD.