Furzeham Primary School

Furzeham Primary School has demonstrated strong overall performance, characterized by notable improvements in attendance and exemplary behavior among students. The safeguarding standards are fully met, and there is a clear commitment from leaders to foster an inclusive culture that supports all learners, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities. The curriculum is well-designed, enabling pupils to build knowledge over time, and providing them with rich learning experiences that prepare them for future educational success. However, challenges remain in developing writing skills among some pupils, which is an area identified for improvement.

Strengths

• Positive culture of safeguarding.
• High levels of pupil engagement and attendance.
• Effective early years curriculum fostering language development.
• Strong emphasis on character development and citizenship.
• Excellent support for personal, social, and emotional development.
• Well-structured curriculum enabling secure knowledge progression.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not write effectively, affecting their fluency and accuracy.

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 Furzeham Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Furzeham 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 Furzeham Primary School had 26.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% 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, 11.3% of pupils at Furzeham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% 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 2024–25 Furzeham Primary School received £7,174 and spent £7,135 for each of its 240 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £64,000 (£267 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, income was £8,363 and spending £8,363 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 Brixham · Torbay local authority: places and applications

Furzeham Primary School is part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Brixham College Brixham
• Curledge Street Academy Paignton
• Paignton Academy Paignton
• Kings Ash Academy Paignton
• Plympton Academy Plymouth
• Plymouth High School for Girls Plymouth
• Penbridge Infant School Portsmouth
• The Portsmouth Academy Portsmouth
• New Horizons Primary School Portsmouth
• Penbridge Junior School Portsmouth

What is Furzeham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Furzeham Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Furzeham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Furzeham Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Furzeham Primary School have?

Furzeham Primary School has 257 pupils on roll.

What age range does Furzeham Primary School cover?

Furzeham Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Furzeham Primary School?

Furzeham Primary School is at Higher Furzeham Road, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 8BL.