Fremington Primary School

Fremington Primary School is a friendly, welcoming school that has begun to stabilise after a period of staffing turbulence and a change of headteacher. New leadership, supported by the Tarka Learning Partnership, has raised expectations and introduced positive changes, but the impact of the school's ambitious vision is not yet fully realised and some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first graded inspection under section 5; safeguarding is effective. Early years provision is a notable strength, with a language-rich curriculum and exceptionally well-delivered phonics helping children get a strong start and learn to read quickly. In most subjects the curriculum is coherently designed and builds progressively, and pupils produce high-quality work. However, in some subjects teachers' checks on understanding are not specific enough, misconceptions are missed, expectations are sometimes too low and work is left unfinished. Support for pupils with SEND is bespoke for those with the greatest need, but less precise for other pupils with SEND. Behaviour is improving under a new policy, but staff and pupils do not yet apply it consistently, and some pupils' conduct can disrupt learning. Attendance remains below the national average, although the school's close work with families is improving rates. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and community roles that support personal development. The school now needs to embed the behaviour policy consistently, sharpen support for pupils with SEND and improve assessment checks so that all pupils build knowledge securely.

Strengths

• Friendly and welcoming school with warm relationships between staff and pupils
• Pupils know there is a member of staff they can speak to if they are worried
• Pupils learn what it means to be a good friend
• Behaviour across the school is improving and most pupils behave well
• Wide range of clubs, including craft, basketball and cricket
• Outdoor centre visits help pupils build confidence and resilience
• Choir sings for the local community and older pupils act as sports leaders
• Phonics and early reading are taught rigorously and exceptionally well
• Children get a strong start in early years through a language-rich curriculum
• Pupils learn to read quickly and achieve well in the phonics screening check
• In most subjects, the curriculum is coherent and builds skills progressively
• Staff regularly check understanding and adapt learning in many subjects
• Pupils produce high-quality work in subjects where the curriculum is well developed
• Bespoke Cocoon and Ark provision supports pupils with the greatest SEND need
• New behaviour policy has led to improved pupil conduct
• Attendance is improving due to close work with families
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Staff are supportive of leadership and proud to be part of the school

Areas for Improvement

• The school's ambitious vision has not yet translated into consistently strong pupil achievement
• In some subjects, teachers' checks on pupils' understanding are not specific enough
• Misconceptions in learning are sometimes left unaddressed, leaving gaps in pupils' knowledge
• Expectations are sometimes too low in some subjects and work is left unfinished
• Support for some pupils with SEND lacks sufficient precision across the curriculum
• The new behaviour policy is not fully understood or consistently applied by staff and pupils
• Some pupils' conduct can disrupt others' learning
• Attendance remains below the national average
• Personal development requires improvement despite a wide range of wider opportunities

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 Fremington Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.2% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Fremington Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Fremington Primary School had 20.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.1% 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, 20.7% of pupils at Fremington Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 Fremington Primary School received £6,338 and spent £6,704 for each of its 379 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £174,000 (£459 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.

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Barnstaple · Devon local authority: places and applications

Fremington Primary School is part of The Harbour Schools Partnership, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Roundswell Community Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Sticklepath Community Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Pilton Community College Barnstaple
• Holywell Church of England School Barnstaple
• Ashleigh CofE Primary School Barnstaple
• The Park Community School Barnstaple
• Newport Community School Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Eden Park Academy Barnstaple
• St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School Bideford
• St Margaret's Church of England Junior School Bideford

What is Fremington Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fremington Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Fremington Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Fremington Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Fremington Primary School have?

Fremington Primary School has 309 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fremington Primary School cover?

Fremington Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 46% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fremington Primary School?

Fremington Primary School is at Beechfield Road, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3DD.