Buckfastleigh Primary School

Teignbridge · TQ11 0DD

General information Primary School · 4-11 years Who goes here 112 pupils, 42% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 25% on SEN support Behaviour 5.0% absence rate Staff 48.4% turnover Financials £8,074 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Buckfastleigh Primary School

General Information

Address: Bossell Road, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DD – View on map
Phone: 01364643304
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Jessica Rafferty
Age range: 4-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 18 families put it first for 18 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

112 pupils out of 280 places Plenty of room

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 47
% eligible for free school meals: 42.0%
Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (similar to the Teignbridge average)
English as an additional language: 1% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 48.4% a year (Teignbridge 19.5%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 80% moved to another school, 20% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Devon: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 8 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 6 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Devon (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 5.0%
Persistently absent pupils: 10.4%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 25.0%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 7.1%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 16 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 5 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 2 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 5 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2024 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 58% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 11% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 7 percentage points below the Teignbridge average (65%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Below (3-year average 49% against an expected 57%)
3-year average (expected standard): 49%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 74% · Writing 68% · Maths 68% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 68%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 104
Based on: 19 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolTeignbridge averageEngland↗ Improving Up 28 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 7 percentage points below the Teignbridge average (65%).

Year 6 SATs: 34th of 45 junior and primary schools in the area

=32Ashburton Primary School59%
=32Kingsteignton School59%
#34Buckfastleigh Primary School58%
#35Gatehouse Primary Academy57%
#36Teignmouth Primary School55%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Christow Primary School100%
#2Shaldon Primary School88%
#3Canada Hill Community Primary School87%
=4All Saints Marsh CofE Academy85%
=4Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary85%
=6Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School82%
=6Tedburn St Mary School82%
#8Bishopsteignton School77%
#9Exminster Community Primary76%
#10Ilsington Church of England Primary School75%
=11Bradley Barton Primary School and Nursery Unit74%
=11Starcross Primary School74%
=13Cockwood Primary School73%
=13Dunsford Community Academy73%
=13Our Lady and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School73%
#16Stokeinteignhead School72%
=17Abbotskerswell Primary School71%
=17St Joseph's Catholic Primary School71%
=19Kenton Primary School70%
=19Kingskerswell Church of England Primary School70%
#21Kenn Church of England Primary School69%
=22Bovey Tracey Academy68%
=22Ipplepen Primary School68%
=22Rydon Primary School68%
=25Broadhempston Village Primary School67%
=25Hazeldown School67%
=27Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School63%
=27Wolborough Church of England Nursery and Primary School63%
=29St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast61%
=29St Michael's Church of England Primary School61%
#31Ide Primary School60%
=32Ashburton Primary School59%
=32Kingsteignton School59%
#34Buckfastleigh Primary School58%
#35Gatehouse Primary Academy57%
#36Teignmouth Primary School55%
#37Blackpool Church of England Primary School54%
#38Highweek Community Primary and Nursery School50%
#39Decoy Primary School48%
#40St Catherine's CofE Primary School47%
#41Hennock Community Primary School44%
#42Moretonhampstead Primary School41%
#43Westcliff Primary Academy38%
=44Bearnes Voluntary Primary School31%
=44Denbury Primary School31%

View full Ofsted inspection report

7th of 37 primary schools in Teignbridge for Ofsted rating

#5Blackpool Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#6Bradley Barton Primary School and Nursery UnitGood
#7Buckfastleigh Primary SchoolGood
#8Canada Hill Community Primary SchoolGood
#9Christow Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Abbotskerswell Primary SchoolGood
#2All Saints Marsh CofE AcademyGood
#3Ashburton Primary SchoolGood
#4Bishopsteignton SchoolGood
#5Blackpool Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#6Bradley Barton Primary School and Nursery UnitGood
#7Buckfastleigh Primary SchoolGood
#8Canada Hill Community Primary SchoolGood
#9Christow Primary SchoolGood
#10Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary SchoolGood
#11Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#12Cockwood Primary SchoolGood
#13Decoy Primary SchoolGood
#14Denbury Primary SchoolGood
#15Doddiscombsleigh Primary SchoolGood
#16Dunsford Community AcademyGood
#17Exminster Community PrimaryGood
#18Hennock Community Primary SchoolGood
#19Highweek Community Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#20Ide Primary SchoolGood
#21Ilsington Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#22Ipplepen Primary SchoolGood
#23Kenn Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#24Kenton Primary SchoolGood
#25Kingskerswell Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#26Kingsteignton SchoolGood
#27Moretonhampstead Primary SchoolGood
#28Our Lady and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#29St Catherine's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#30St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#31Stokeinteignhead SchoolGood
#32Tedburn St Mary SchoolGood
#33Teignmouth Primary SchoolGood
#34Widecombe-in-the-Moor PrimaryGood
#35Bovey Tracey AcademyRequires improvement
#36Haytor View Community Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#37St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £8,074 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

7th of 42 primary schools in Teignbridge for spending per pupil

#5Bishopsteignton School£8,283
#6Broadhempston Village Primary School£8,278
#7Buckfastleigh Primary School£8,074
#8Highweek Community Primary and Nursery School£7,847
#9St Michael's Church of England Primary School£7,568

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Kenton Primary School£10,222
#2St Joseph's Catholic Primary School£9,069
#3Hennock Community Primary School£8,376
#4Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School£8,289
#5Bishopsteignton School£8,283
#6Broadhempston Village Primary School£8,278
#7Buckfastleigh Primary School£8,074
#8Highweek Community Primary and Nursery School£7,847
#9St Michael's Church of England Primary School£7,568
#10Cockwood Primary School£7,446
#11Westcliff Primary Academy£7,397
#12Abbotskerswell Primary School£7,360
#13Exminster Community Primary£7,212
#14Denbury Primary School£7,128
#15Ashburton Primary School£6,930
#16Teignmouth Primary School£6,862
#17St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast£6,859
#18Blackpool Church of England Primary School£6,743
#19Bearnes Voluntary Primary School£6,647
#20Wolborough Church of England Nursery and Primary School£6,631
#21Hazeldown School£6,614
#22All Saints Marsh CofE Academy£6,524
#23Tedburn St Mary School£6,500
#24Christow Primary School£6,497
#25Gatehouse Primary Academy£6,469
#26Bradley Barton Primary School and Nursery Unit£6,430
#27Kingskerswell Church of England Primary School£6,405
#28Ilsington Church of England Primary School£6,330
#29Decoy Primary School£6,297
#30Ide Primary School£6,277
#31Starcross Primary School£6,276
#32Our Lady and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School£6,256
#33Kingsteignton School£6,204
#34Dunsford Community Academy£6,034
#35Canada Hill Community Primary School£5,963
#36Chudleigh Church of England Community Primary School£5,943
#37Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary£5,802
#38Kenn Church of England Primary School£5,796
#39Bovey Tracey Academy£5,630
#40Moretonhampstead Primary School£5,492
#41Shaldon Primary School£5,315
#42Rydon Primary School£5,076

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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