Bishops Nympton Primary School, South Molton

Requires Improvement
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Timothy Gurney
Pupils:80
LA:Devon
Phone:01769550387
Address:Bishops Nympton, South Molton, EX36 4PU
Federation:The Exmoor Link
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 24 June 2025View full report
URN:113133
UKPRN:10076104
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Devon
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Bishops Nympton Primary has excellent phonics teaching that gets children reading early, and provides strong support for pupils with additional needs. The school has high expectations and offers enriching experiences like visits to Bristol and London to broaden pupils' horizons. The warm relationships between staff and pupils create a calm, positive environment where children are proud to belong.

Key Strengths

  • Strong teaching of reading and phonics, helping pupils read at the earliest opportunity
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs, with swift identification and implementation of strategies
  • Ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge and skills from nursery through Year 6
  • Calm, positive school culture with warm relationships between staff and pupils
  • Rich wider curriculum with trips to museums and cities to contextualise learning

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent expectations for writing across subjects and year groups - pupils lack sufficient opportunities to develop writing skills
  • Learning activities not always matched to what pupils are capable of, meaning some pupils complete work that lacks challenge
  • Need for stronger training and support for staff to adapt learning to meet individual pupil needs

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils feel safe, understand online safety and safety within a farming community, and know they can speak to a trusted adult about concerns.

Extracurricular Activities

Choir, football, drumming, play leader roles, school council, Exmoor challenge, residential trips to London and Bristol

Bishops Nympton Primary School is a good school set in the countryside that has improved significantly since its previous inspection. The school has high aspirations for its pupils, who achieve well and are safe, polite, and kind to one another.

At a Glance

13.6%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

18 responses
Would recommend89%
Child is happy89%
Well taught89%
Good progress67%
Feels safe100%
Well behaved83%
Bullying dealt with17%
Kept informed78%
Handles concerns61%
Wider development83%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+23ppMaths-7ppWriting+4pp

Reading has improved from 67% to 90%. Maths has declined from 67% to 60%. Writing has improved from 56% to 60%.

Class Sizes

22.5

Avg class size

18.0

Infant (KS1)

22.5

KS2

4

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Spire Lake Close (NW-bound)
246m · 4 min walk
Glebeland Villas (SW-bound)
261m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - South Molton

High pressure
New homes approved:280
Projected new pupils:70

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for South Molton

Admissions Demand - Devon

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

9,263

Applications

6,758

Got 1st preference

96.2%

Got preferred school

98.9%

Primary admissions across Devon (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

24 June 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
24 January 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsRequires Improvement
22 February 2017

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.47301%

Overall absence

13.84615%

Persistent absence

65

Enrolments

Authorised4.75951%
Unauthorised0.71351%
Persistent (10%+)13.84615%
Severe (50%+)1.53846%

Absence trend

3.94803%
18/19
4.35109%
20/21
7.8934%
21/22
6.86449%
22/23
5.25993%
23/24
5.47301%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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