Sticklepath Community Primary Academy

Sticklepath Community Primary Academy is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all domains in its first Ofsted inspection. The school is praised for its ambitious and well-planned curriculum, which helps pupils develop a love of learning, particularly in subjects like reading and history. Pupils enjoy learning in a safe and supportive environment, and their positive attitudes towards learning are nurtured by high expectations from leaders and staff. There is a strong focus on character development through activities such as forest school and various leadership roles available for pupils.

Strengths

• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that promotes subject expertise.
• High expectations set by leaders that motivate pupils.
• Effective early reading curriculum that supports fluent reading.
• Strong emphasis on pupils' personal development and well-being.
• Successful transition from nursery to Reception due to effective collaboration.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is less well embedded in some areas of the foundation curriculum.
• Leaders do not always have rigorous oversight of all aspects of the school's work.

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 Sticklepath Community Primary Academy attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.8% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Sticklepath Community Primary 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 Sticklepath Community Primary Academy had 23.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.8% 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, 16.1% of pupils at Sticklepath Community Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 2023–24 Sticklepath Community Primary Academy received £6,161 and spent £6,162 for each of its 420 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £167,000 (£399 per pupil).

Across all 29 schools of The Harbour Schools Partnership, income was £6,848 and spending £6,935 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

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

• Roundswell Community Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Pilton Community College Barnstaple
• Ashleigh CofE Primary School Barnstaple
• The Park Community School Barnstaple
• Newport Community School Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Holywell Church of England School Barnstaple
• Eden Park Academy Barnstaple
• Fremington Primary School Barnstaple
• Orchard Vale Community School Barnstaple
• Landkey Community Primary Academy Barnstaple

What is Sticklepath Community Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sticklepath Community Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Sticklepath Community Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Sticklepath Community Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Sticklepath Community Primary Academy have?

Sticklepath Community Primary Academy has 448 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sticklepath Community Primary Academy cover?

Sticklepath Community Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Sticklepath Community Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Sticklepath Community Primary Academy?

Sticklepath Community Primary Academy is at Woodville Estate, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 2HH.