Bowhill Primary School, Exeter
Bowhill Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Exeter, part of Exeter Learning Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 48 schools in Exeter with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Bowhill Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Bowhill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 71% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bowhill Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 57 families put Bowhill Primary School as their first choice and 103 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bowhill Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bowhill Primary School are Montgomery Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); St Thomas Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 77% reading, 57% maths); St Gabriel's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 79% reading, 83% maths); and St David's CofE Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 60% maths).
Bowhill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Montgomery Primary SchoolSt Thomas Primary SchoolSt Gabriel's CofE Primary SchoolSt David's CofE Primary School
The trust
Bowhill Primary School is one of 4 schools run by Exeter Learning Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
144 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bowhill Primary School (as of September 2025): 95% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 81% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (81%).
Who goes there
16.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Exeter St Thomas Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Phillips Court (n-bound), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 457 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bowhill Primary School issued 28 suspensions, 6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bowhill Primary School are West Exe School (0.7 miles) and Atkinson Secure Children's Home (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from November 2016, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bowhill Primary School creates a warm, caring environment where children feel valued and well-supported. The school has high expectations and provides an ambitious curriculum that helps pupils achieve well. The school also places real importance on inclusion, ensuring all pupils - including those with additional needs - get the support they need to succeed.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on curriculum design to help pupils build knowledge from early years through Year 6
- Skilled use of questioning and regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning
- Excellent inclusion and early identification of pupils needing additional support for SEND and behaviour
- Dedicated approach to improving attendance and supporting disadvantaged pupils
- Strong teaching of reading with targeted support for struggling readers
Areas for Improvement
- Expectations for written work across subjects beyond English are sometimes not high enough, leading to variable quality
- Some pupils make repeated errors that go unaddressed, causing them to embed misconceptions
- Checks on how well pupils are learning the curriculum need development to identify and close knowledge gaps
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, gymnastics club, residentials with activities such as weaselling, before- and after-school club
Bowhill Primary School is a happy, welcoming and inclusive place where pupils are respectful and courteous. The school has maintained good standards through effective leadership and a well-designed, ambitious curriculum.
At a Glance
16.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
144 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 73% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.8
Avg class size
28.4
Infant (KS1)
27.5
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
1 unlawfully large infant class
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Bowhill Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bowhill Primary School.
- Premier Wraparound @ St Gabriel's680m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Camps @ St Thomas700m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bowhill Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bowhill Primary School is in Devon; for families living there:
- Devon's school travel policy: Free school transport
- How to apply: Apply for free school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bowhill Primary School
Will you get a place at Bowhill Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bowhill Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bowhill Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bowhill Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bowhill Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Devon got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
460 pupils
525 places
65 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Exeter
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Exeter
Across Devon council
Places available
9,014
Applications
6,494
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
70
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
451
Total Pupils
244
Boys
207
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,370
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2532k
Total funding
£100k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.7%
Overall absence
13.7%
Persistent absence
416
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bowhill Primary School
Questions parents ask about Bowhill Primary School
What are SATs results like at Bowhill Primary School?
Of the pupils at Bowhill Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Bowhill Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Bowhill Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bowhill Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Bowhill Primary School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bowhill Primary School?
Bowhill Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 525 places.
How big are the classes at Bowhill Primary School?
Classes at Bowhill Primary School average 27.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bowhill Primary School?
Bowhill Primary School has around 451 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bowhill Primary School?
5.7% of sessions were missed at Bowhill Primary School in 2024/25. 13.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bowhill Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Bowhill Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bowhill Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Bowhill Primary School: Premier Wraparound @ St Gabriel's (680m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Camps @ St Thomas (700m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bowhill Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bowhill Primary School?
Bowhill Primary School is at Buddle Lane, St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, EX4 1JT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)