Monkleigh Primary School, Bideford
Monkleigh Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bideford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 12 schools in Bideford with published results, and 814th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 96% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
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
Monkleigh Primary School in detail
Monkleigh Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Monkleigh Primary School, a happy, caring and ambitious school at the heart of our village community. Set in the beautiful North Devon countryside between Bideford and Great Torrington, Monkleigh is a small, welcoming school where every child is known, valued and encouraged to thrive."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include cooking and sewing.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Monkleigh Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 88% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Monkleigh Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 19 families put Monkleigh Primary School as their first choice and 20 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Monkleigh Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Monkleigh Primary School are Buckland Brewer Primary School (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, 50% reading, 50% maths); Great Torrington Bluecoat Church of England Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 68% reading, 80% maths); Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit (3.2 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); and West Croft School (3.3 miles, Good, 65% reading, 52% maths).
Monkleigh Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Buckland Brewer Primary SchoolGreat Torrington Bluecoat Church of England Primary SchoolLangtree Community School and Nursery UnitWest Croft School
Who goes there
6.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 9 pupils (6.6%) received SEN support and 2 (1.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Monkleigh Primary School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Bell Inn (opposite), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).
Suspensions and exclusions
Monkleigh Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from November 2011, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2011 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
6.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 88% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 82% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.3
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Monkleigh Primary School
From Monkleigh Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Monkleigh Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Monkleigh Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Monkleigh 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)
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
Your chances of a place at Monkleigh Primary School
Will you get a place at Monkleigh Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Monkleigh Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Monkleigh Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Monkleigh 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 Monkleigh Primary School for 2014 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
96%
Near capacity
101 pupils
105 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bideford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bideford
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
9
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
8.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
137
Total Pupils
68
Boys
69
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
22.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,779
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,104
Per pupil
£662k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
10.2%
Persistent absence
88
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Monkleigh Primary School
What are SATs results like at Monkleigh Primary School?
Of the pupils at Monkleigh Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Monkleigh Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Monkleigh Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Monkleigh Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Monkleigh 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 Monkleigh Primary School?
Monkleigh Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Monkleigh Primary School?
Classes at Monkleigh Primary School average 25.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Monkleigh Primary School?
Monkleigh Primary School has around 137 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Monkleigh Primary School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Monkleigh Primary School in 2024/25. 10.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Monkleigh Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Monkleigh 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.
How many road collisions happen near Monkleigh Primary 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 Monkleigh Primary School?
Monkleigh Primary School is at Monkleigh, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5JY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)