Gatehouse Primary Academy, Dawlish

Good
Primary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.2km)Unlikely (~2.8km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Jason Stephens
Pupils:314 / 420 capacity
LA:Devon
Phone:01626862605
Address:Secmaton Lane, Dawlish, EX7 0LW
Trust:THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 December 2014

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:141353
UKPRN:10047476
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Newton Abbot
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Gatehouse Primary Academy creates a warm, inclusive environment where your child will feel safe, valued and supported. The school places real emphasis on helping children develop as whole people, with excellent pastoral care and a rich range of experiences including trips, performances and sporting festivals. Staff build positive relationships with families and work hard to ensure every child, including those with additional needs, can access and enjoy learning.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent personal development programme with strong emphasis on safety, healthy lifestyles and diversity
  • Exceptional pastoral support and inclusive culture where all pupils feel valued and safe
  • Rich enrichment opportunities including performances, sporting festivals, residential trips and enrichment days
  • Strong early reading programme using phonics and good number fluency in mathematics
  • Effective support for vulnerable pupils, including those with special needs and disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Writing standards and spelling, punctuation and handwriting accuracy need to improve
  • Teaching does not always adapt learning well enough to match pupils' starting points - some work is too challenging, others not challenging enough
  • Higher-attaining pupils in reading and mathematics do not consistently achieve the standards they should
  • Errors and misconceptions in writing persist across the curriculum

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all legal requirements are met.

Extracurricular Activities

Performances, sporting festivals, residential trips, enrichment days, house system awards and celebrations

Gatehouse Primary Academy is a welcoming, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and valued. While the school excels in personal development and pastoral care, leaders are working to improve pupil achievement in English and mathematics, particularly in writing.

At a Glance

31.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-4ppMaths-2ppWriting-4pp

Reading has declined from 74% to 70%. Maths has remained stable at around 66%. Writing has declined from 70% to 66%.

Class Sizes

28.7

Avg class size

26.4

Infant (KS1)

30.7

KS2

11

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Dawlish Rail Station
1.0km · 17 min walk

Bus Stops

Secmanton Lane (nr)
40m · 1 min walk
Gatehouse School (S-bound)
146m · 2 min walk
Newlands (NW-bound)
352m · 6 min walk
Elm Grove Drive (NE-bound)
506m · 8 min walk
Cousens Close (NW-bound)
658m · 11 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

75%

Available places

314 pupils

420 capacity

106 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Dawlish

Low pressure
New homes approved:327
Projected new pupils:82

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Dawlish

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(18)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

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

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

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.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

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.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

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

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.74059%

Overall absence

14.13793%

Persistent absence

290

Enrolments

Authorised5.00464%
Unauthorised0.73595%
Persistent (10%+)14.13793%
Severe (50%+)2.06897%

Absence trend

4.45086%
18/19
3.18956%
20/21
6.84092%
21/22
6.14066%
22/23
7.06176%
23/24
5.74059%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Secondary Schools Nearby

Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.