Oldway Primary School, Paignton
Oldway Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Paignton, part of Riviera Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 9 schools in Paignton with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Torbay (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oldway Primary School in detail
Oldway Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A warm welcome to Oldway Primary School from Headteacher Emma Bamber . Our school values ' Aspiration , Responsibility and Kindness ' are fundamental to all aspects of school life, for both children and staff, and we look forward to celebrating them during the year."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, cricket, drama, choir and guitar.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Torbay
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Oldway Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 74% in Torbay and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Oldway Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put Oldway Primary School as their first choice and 106 named it as one of their preferences, for 55 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Oldway Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Oldway Primary School are Sacred Heart Catholic School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths); Curledge Street Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); St Michael's Church of England Academy (0.7 miles, Good); and Hayes School (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 83% maths).
Oldway Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolCurledge Street AcademySt Michael's Church of England AcademyHayes School
The trust
Oldway Primary School is one of 3 schools run by Riviera Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
15.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 108 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 16 (2.7%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Paignton (Paignton and Dartmouth Railway), about 740 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
20 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Christ Church (n-bound), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oldway Primary School issued 43 suspensions, 6.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
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; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Oldway Primary is a friendly and inclusive school. Pupils are proud to attend. Staff are ambitious for what pupils can achieve now and in the future. Pupils understand the school's values of aspiration, responsibility and kindness. The school celebrates pupils' efforts and achievements in line with these values. The newly established 'hot chocolate or ice lolly with the head' has been well received.
Pupils enjoy participating in the Riviera 70 during their time at school. This provides a range of 10 opportunities each year to broaden their school experience. For example, pupils visit the local beach and church and participate in activities to support their physical and mental health. Children in the Nursery and Reception Year explore the Oldway Wild Learning environment. They build camps and engage in water play, which ignites their curiosity and love for learning.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
In response to published outcomes in recent years, the school has made significant improvements to the curriculum that pupils learn. Pupils now follow a broad and well-planned curriculum. Subject leaders have carefully considered the knowledge that pupils will learn over time. The training teachers receive has deepened their understanding of different subject content and how this is best taught. As a result, current pupils now develop secure knowledge and retain this in their long-term memory. The quality of work pupils produce is improving rapidly. However, teachers' use of assessment is still too variable. Consequently, some pupils develop misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge which persist.
The school supports a higher-than-average number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make carefully considered adjustments which help most pupils with SEND follow the curriculum successfully. Adults support pupils effectively while still allowing them to develop their independence. The school works positively with other professionals to ensure pupils with SEND, and their families, receive any additional support they need.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
15.9%
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 67% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 56% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 51% to 77% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
27.2
KS2
22
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Oldway Primary School
Oldway Newsletter 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Oldway Newsletter 20th July 2026
20 Jul 2026
Oldway Newsletter 19th June 2026
19 Jun 2026
Oldway Newsletter 8th May 2026
8 May 2026
Oldway Newsletter 9th March 2026
9 Mar 2026
Oldway Newsletter 13th February 2026
13 Feb 2026
From Oldway Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Oldway Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Oldway Primary School.
- Kinetic Sports Group - OldwayAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oldway Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oldway Primary School is in Torbay; for families living there:
Apply to Torbay for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 24 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
9 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 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 Oldway Primary School
Will you get a place at Oldway Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Oldway Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Oldway Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Oldway Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Torbay, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Oldway Primary School for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Torbay 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
94%
Near capacity
592 pupils
630 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Paignton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Paignton
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,357
Applications
1,000
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
108
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
20.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
598
Total Pupils
307
Boys
291
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
18.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,691
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£3272k
Total funding
£173k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
13.5%
Persistent absence
550
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
Oldway Primary School
Questions parents ask about Oldway Primary School
What are SATs results like at Oldway Primary School?
Of the pupils at Oldway Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 77% did so in maths.
What is Oldway Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Oldway Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Oldway Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Oldway Primary School is oversubscribed, Torbay allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Oldway Primary School?
Oldway Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Oldway Primary School?
Classes at Oldway Primary School average 26.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Oldway Primary School?
Oldway Primary School has around 598 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Oldway Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Oldway Primary School in 2024/25. 13.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oldway Primary School?
Apply through Torbay's coordinated admissions process, naming Oldway 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 Oldway Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kinetic Sports Group - Oldway (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 Oldway Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 24 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 9 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oldway Primary School?
Oldway Primary School is at Higher Polsham Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2SY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)