School profile

Bishops Tawton Primary School

Primary · Foundation school · Barnstaple, EX32 0AE

Good

Map showing Bishops Tawton Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#11,268 of 15,057

Worse than 74% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Bishops Tawton Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 6 May 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Early years
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFoundation school
Ages4 to 11
Pupils161
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Melanie Smallwood
Local authorityDevon
Opened01 Jan 1900
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 113134.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolDevonEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths54%59%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.0%7%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.107106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.103104105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.105104105
Expected standard in reading77%75%76%
Expected standard in writing69%70%73%
Expected standard in maths65%72%75%
Pupils taking tests26--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census. School places come from the DfE capacity survey and do not include nursery, so unfilled places compare them with pupils outside nursery.

MeasureThis school
Pupils161
Girls76
Boys85
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.6.8%
First language not English1.2%
School places2024/25166
Unfilled places3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.7
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.1
Average class size26.8

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
94.4%
White and Asian
1.9%
Other mixed
1.9%
Other White
1.2%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%
Gypsy/Roma
0%
White and Black Caribbean
0%
White and Black African
0%
Indian
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher19.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.3
Teachers (FTE)8.2
Teaching assistants (FTE)6.1
Support staff (FTE)9.36
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/258.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/257
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.4
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251.2

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.23
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.34
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.22
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.22
Applications from another local authority (Reception)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolDevonEngland
Overall absence3.6%5.1%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.5%12.2%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%1.1%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate1.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions1.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Bishops Tawton Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.9 miPrimaryHolywell Church of England SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miSecondaryThe Park Community SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryNewport Community School Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryEden Park AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimaryAshleigh CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miPrimaryLandkey Community Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.8 miPrimaryOur Lady's Catholic Primary School, BarnstapleAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Bishops Tawton Primary School

What is Bishops Tawton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Bishops Tawton Primary School is rated Good, last inspected on 6 May 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Bishops Tawton Primary School rank in England?

Bishops Tawton Primary School ranks 11,268 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (worse than 74% of schools).

What are Bishops Tawton Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 54% of pupils at Bishops Tawton Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Bishops Tawton Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Bishops Tawton Primary School made 23 offers from 34 applications (1.5 per offer), and 22 of 22 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Bishops Tawton Primary School?

Bishops Tawton Primary School has 161 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Bishops Tawton Primary School?

Bishops Tawton Primary School had 166 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Bishops Tawton Primary School?

At Bishops Tawton Primary School, the average class had 26.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 19.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Bishops Tawton Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Bishops Tawton Primary School missed 3.6% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.