St Helen's Church of England School

General Information

Address: Abbotsham, Bideford, EX39 5AP
Phone: 01237475276
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Rebecca Northcott
Age range: 2-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Number of pupils: 204
School capacity: 210
Pupils eligible for free school meals: 24
% eligible for free school meals: 11.8%
Nursery provision: No

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.

Behaviour information for this school has not been added yet.

Attendance

Overall absence: 3.9%
Persistently absent pupils: 4.8%
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.

SEN provision information for this school has not been added yet.

Pupils on SEN Support: 8.8%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.9%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Moderate learning difficulty: 4 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 4 pupils
Hearing impairment: 3 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 5 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 –

Behaviour

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Openness

–

Teaching Quality

–

School Ethos

–

Ability to Deal with Problems

–

Headteacher Approval

–

Would recommend –

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Educational Attainment

Good 2022 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.

Educational attainment data for this school has not been added yet.

View full Ofsted inspection report

Ranked #16 of 23 Ofsted Rating schools of this type in the area

#14Shebbear Community SchoolGood
#15St Giles-on-the-Heath Community SchoolGood
#16St Helen's Church of England SchoolGood
#17St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#18West Croft 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.

#1Appledore SchoolGood
#2Ashwater Primary SchoolGood
#3Bradford Primary SchoolGood
#4Bridgerule Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#5Dolton Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#6East-the-Water Community Primary SchoolGood
#7Great Torrington Bluecoat Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#8Halwill Community Primary SchoolGood
#9High Bickington Church of England Primary AcademyGood
#10Holsworthy Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#11Langtree Community School and Nursery UnitGood
#12Monkleigh Primary SchoolGood
#13Parkham Primary SchoolGood
#14Shebbear Community SchoolGood
#15St Giles-on-the-Heath Community SchoolGood
#16St Helen's Church of England SchoolGood
#17St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#18West Croft SchoolGood
#19Winkleigh Primary SchoolGood
#20Woolsery Primary SchoolGood
#21Black Torrington Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#22Bradworthy Primary AcademyRequires improvement
#23Buckland Brewer Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Financial summary information for this school has not been added yet.

Spending per pupil: £4,942 (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.

Ranked #24 of 24 Spending Per Pupil schools of this type in the area

#22St Mary's CofE Primary School£6,260
#23Appledore School£6,244
#24St Helen's Church of England School£4,942

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.

#1Black Torrington Church of England Primary School£29,429
#2Bradford Primary School£16,667
#3The Clinton Church of England Primary School£12,462
#4Buckland Brewer Primary School£10,573
#5Hartland Primary School£9,703
#6Dolton Church of England Primary School£9,692
#7Shebbear Community School£9,531
#8Halwill Community Primary School£9,192
#9Winkleigh Primary School£8,257
#10St Giles-on-the-Heath Community School£8,224
#11Great Torrington Bluecoat Church of England Primary School£8,029
#12Woolsery Primary School£7,857
#13Bridgerule Church of England Primary School£7,734
#14Monkleigh Primary School£7,349
#15West Croft School£7,068
#16Clawton Primary School£7,032
#17High Bickington Church of England Primary Academy£6,817
#18East-the-Water Community Primary School£6,644
#19Bradworthy Primary Academy£6,644
#20Holsworthy Church of England Primary School£6,628
#21Beaford Community Primary & Nursery School£6,321
#22St Mary's CofE Primary School£6,260
#23Appledore School£6,244
#24St Helen's Church of England School£4,942

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