Pathfield School, Barnstaple
Pathfield School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Barnstaple, part of SENtient Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pathfield School in detail
Pathfield School in its own words
In its own words: "At Pathfield we aim to provide for the individual educational needs of all our pupils through a person centred approach. We value our relationship with parents and carers and our partnership work with all other agencies. Working together we strive to provide a full range of specialist facilities and opportunities to encourage your child to reach their full potential."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Pathfield School are The Lampard Community School (1.6 miles); and On Track Education Barnstaple (2.2 miles, Good).
The trust
Pathfield School is one of 6 schools run by SENtient Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pathfield School (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 60% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 44% to a further education college.
Who goes there
49.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.1% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
Almost every pupil at Pathfield School has an education, health and care plan (183 of 183 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Pathfield School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Barnstaple Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Pathfield School (n-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 215 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Devon (16), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Pathfield School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pathfield School caters for pupils aged 3 to 19 with profound and severe learning difficulties. The school includes a centre for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, known as 'Pathways'. This is a school where pupils settle in quickly, even when they have spent a lot of time out of education. Before long, they are learning happily in their small class groups.
The school provides different curriculum routes for pupils to follow depending on their needs. Pupils in the 'pre-formal' stage learn through sensory experiences. Meanwhile, pupils learning through more formal approaches focus on early reading and mathematics. Many pupils become accurate readers. This is down to the school's can-do attitude and systematic teaching methods.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed an engaging curriculum which is usually well-matched to pupils' needs. Children in the early years and some older pupils, learn to develop their attention and focus. The school provides lots of sensory stimulation. This keeps pupils' interest and prepares them for more formal learning. The school supports pupils to find and use a communication style that works for them. Staff often get together to develop their own expertise. This helps them to better support pupils using Makaton or Braille, for example.
Reading sits at the heart of all formal learning. The school is highly skilled in recognising when pupils are ready to begin their early reading journey. For some, phonics learning begins in the early years, for others, this comes later. The whole school is organised to support phonics learning. There is a joyful atmosphere as reading lessons get underway across the school. Many pupils exceed previous expectations in reading. Increasingly, pupils in key stage 3 become fluent readers. They understand and can discuss their reading maturely.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded 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 March 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
49.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from Pathfield School
25th September News Summary
25 Sep 2026
Reader of the Week
25 Sep 2026
18th September News Summary
18 Sep 2026
Parent Governor Vacancy
18 Sep 2026
Meal Time Assistant Vacancies at Pathfield
18 Sep 2026
Nut Free School
11 Sep 2026
From Pathfield School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Pathfield School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pathfield School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pathfield 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)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
3 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 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
98%
Near capacity
183 pupils
186 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Barnstaple
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barnstaple
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.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
183
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pathfield School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
183
Total Pupils
118
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
29
Teachers
6.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,478
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.2%
Overall absence
26.5%
Persistent absence
162
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
Questions parents ask about Pathfield School
What are GCSE results like at Pathfield School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Pathfield School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Pathfield School's Ofsted rating?
Pathfield School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Pathfield School?
No fixed boundary. When Pathfield School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Pathfield School?
Pathfield School has around 183 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Pathfield School have specialist SEN provision?
Pathfield School provides for pupils with severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Pathfield School?
10.2% of sessions were missed at Pathfield School in 2024/25. 26.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pathfield School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Pathfield 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 Pathfield School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 3 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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Pathfield School?
Pathfield School is at Abbey Road, Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)