Payhembury Church of England Primary School, Exeter
Payhembury Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Exeter. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 48 schools in Exeter with published results, and 637th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Payhembury Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 94% of Year 6 pupils at Payhembury Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 94% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Payhembury Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Payhembury Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 23 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Payhembury Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Payhembury Church of England Primary School are Feniton Church of England Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 88% reading, 81% maths); Broadhembury Church of England Primary School (2.1 miles); Plymtree Church of England Primary School (2.2 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths); and Awliscombe Church of England Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 93% reading, 67% maths).
Payhembury Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Feniton Church of England Primary SchoolBroadhembury Church of England Primary SchoolPlymtree Church of England Primary SchoolAwliscombe Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
4.3% 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, 28 pupils (30.1%) received SEN support and 3 (3.2%) 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.
Staffing
Payhembury Church of England Primary School had 11 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Feniton Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (adjacent), 10 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
Payhembury Church of England 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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from February 2015, 11 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 February 2015 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
4.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 80% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 80% to 94% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.3
Avg class size
17.5
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Payhembury Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Payhembury Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Payhembury Church of England 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)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
1 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
Your chances of a place at Payhembury Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at Payhembury Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Payhembury Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Payhembury Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Payhembury Church of England 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 Payhembury Church of England 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
95%
Near capacity
100 pupils
105 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Exeter
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Exeter
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
33.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
93
Total Pupils
44
Boys
49
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
8.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,142
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,181
Per pupil
£765k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.1%
Overall absence
3.3%
Persistent absence
91
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Payhembury Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at Payhembury Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 94% reached the expected standard in reading and 94% did so in maths.
What is Payhembury Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Payhembury Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Payhembury Church of England 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 Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Payhembury Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Classes at Payhembury Church of England Primary School average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Payhembury Church of England Primary School has around 93 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
3.1% of sessions were missed at Payhembury Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Payhembury Church of England 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 Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 Payhembury Church of England Primary School?
Payhembury Church of England Primary School is at Payhembury, Exeter, Devon, EX14 3HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)