Yeo Valley Primary School

Yeo Valley Primary School has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, now delivering a good quality of education overall. The school's leadership is a strong point, reflecting outstanding management and a commitment to staff development and well-being. The inclusive environment fosters positive relationships and respect among pupils and staff, creating a safe and supportive atmosphere for learning. While the curriculum is mostly ambitious and well-sequenced, there are areas needing further embedding to ensure uniform understanding across all subjects. There is particular strength in the early years provision, where children receive exceptional support. However, persistent absenteeism remains a concern, impacting some pupils' overall engagement and progress.

Strengths

• Outstanding leadership and management
• Exceptional early years curriculum
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• High-quality teaching of early reading and phonics
• Positive relationships between adults and pupils
• Ambitious and well-sequenced general curriculum
• High staff morale and commitment to professional development

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum not fully embedded in a minority of subjects
• Some pupils do not develop a deep understanding necessary for future education
• Persistent absenteeism among too many pupils

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 Yeo Valley Primary School attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.8% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Yeo Valley 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 Yeo Valley Primary School had 14.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.2% 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, 24.9% of pupils at Yeo Valley Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 9.3% 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 Yeo Valley Primary School received £9,041 and spent £7,813 for each of its 186 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £50,000 (£271 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Cornerstone Academy Trust, income was £7,703 and spending £7,820 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

Yeo Valley Primary School is part of Cornerstone Academy Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Broadclyst Community Primary School Exeter
• Westclyst Community Primary School Exeter
• Monkerton Community Primary School Exeter
• Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School Exeter
• Countess Wear Primary School Exeter
• Marpool Primary School Exmouth

What is Yeo Valley Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Yeo Valley Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Yeo Valley Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Yeo Valley Primary School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Yeo Valley Primary School have?

Yeo Valley Primary School has 193 pupils on roll.

What age range does Yeo Valley Primary School cover?

Yeo Valley Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Yeo Valley Primary School?

Yeo Valley Primary School is at Derby Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7HB.