Lifton Community Academy, Lifton

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Adam Hill
Pupils:131 / 175 capacity
LA:Devon
Phone:01566232071
Address:North Road, Lifton, PL16 0EH
Trust:LEARNING ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP (SOUTH WEST)
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 April 2022

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 20 May 2025View full report
URN:148987
UKPRN:10090168
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Torridge and Tavistock
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Lifton Community Academy prioritises reading from the early years and supports all pupils to catch up quickly if needed. The school is genuinely inclusive, with strong support for pupils with SEND, and pupils have excellent attendance because they enjoy coming to school. The school has recently gained new leadership that is providing stability and working to improve the quality of education for all children.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on reading with effective phonics teaching and quick identification of pupils who need extra support
  • Excellent attendance rates with pupils enjoying coming to school
  • Highly inclusive approach with effective support for pupils with SEND who achieve as well as their peers
  • Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils build knowledge over time
  • Pupils feel safe and valued with strong understanding of British values and tolerance

Areas for Improvement

  • Reception Year curriculum and indoor learning environment not well developed, leaving some children unprepared for Year 1
  • Teachers not consistently checking what pupils have learned, so teaching is not adjusted to help all pupils reach their potential
  • Challenging behaviour from some pupils disrupts lessons, with inconsistent staff responses due to new staff lacking appropriate training
  • Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could due to disruption and inconsistent support

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff responding quickly to concerns and pupils feeling safe and cared for.

Extracurricular Activities

Seventy different enrichment opportunities before Year 7

Lifton Community Academy is a highly inclusive primary school that has recently settled after a period of staff changes with new leadership in place. While the school maintains strengths in reading and attendance, evidence suggests some aspects of education quality have declined since the previous inspection, and the school will receive a graded inspection next time.

At a Glance

18.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

23 responses
Would recommend78%
Child is happy83%
Well taught83%
Good progress70%
Feels safe78%
Well behaved65%
Bullying dealt with4%
Kept informed78%
Handles concerns57%
Wider development74%

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

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
ReadingMaths+8ppWriting-10pp

Reading has remained stable at around 62%. Maths has improved from 54% to 62%. Writing has declined from 81% to 71%.

Class Sizes

20.9

Avg class size

24.5

KS2

7

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Arundell Arms Hotel (opp)
153m · 2 min walk
Fox and Grapes (W-bound)
587m · 10 min walk
Spry Lane (opp)
850m · 14 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

75%

Available places

131 pupils

175 capacity

44 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Lifton

Low pressure
New homes approved:47
Projected new pupils:12

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lifton

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

20 May 2025

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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

6.09339%

Overall absence

21.18644%

Persistent absence

118

Enrolments

Authorised4.70428%
Unauthorised1.38911%
Persistent (10%+)21.18644%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

6.18942%
22/23
5.02731%
23/24
6.09339%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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