Mill Water School, Budleigh Salterton
Mill Water School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Budleigh Salterton, part of Special Partnership Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mill Water School in detail
Mill Water School in its own words
In its own words: "I am really lucky to be Headteacher at Mill Water School and to work with a dedicated team to provide the best education and life preparation for our 121 children and young people."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to introduce myself, my name is Guy Chappell and I am the CEO of The Special Partnership Trust. We are very much looking forward to working with Mill Water and are very excited about the possibilities and opportunities this new partnership offers."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, drama and cooking.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Mill Water School are Royal Deaf Education Trust (5.5 miles, Good); and Royal Deaf Education Trust (5.5 miles, Good).
The trust
Mill Water School is one of 10 schools run by Special Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 11 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college.
Who goes there
42% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Mill Water School has an education, health and care plan (119 of 119 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Mill Water School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 120 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Mill Water School.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bicton College of Agriculture (se-bound), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Mill Water School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as Mill Water School (URN 113635), it was rated Good in April 2017.
At a Glance
42.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Vision, Other, Hearing +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Keep up with Mill Water School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mill Water School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mill Water 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
119%
Over capacity
119 pupils
100 places
19 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Budleigh Salterton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Budleigh Salterton
Across Devon council
Places available
7,788
Applications
7,251
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
119
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Mill Water School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 120 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
119
Total Pupils
78
Boys
41
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
5.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,169
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Mill Water School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113635). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
8.2%
Overall absence
26.1%
Persistent absence
111
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Mill Water School
Questions parents ask about Mill Water School
What is Mill Water School's Ofsted rating?
Mill Water School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in February 2025. Before that, as Mill Water School (URN 113635), it was rated Good in April 2017.
What is the catchment area for Mill Water School?
No fixed boundary. When Mill Water School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Mill Water School?
Mill Water School has around 119 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Mill Water School have specialist SEN provision?
Mill Water School has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 100 places, 120 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Mill Water School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Mill Water School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Mill Water School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Mill Water School?
Mill Water School is at Bicton, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 7BJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)