Pilton Infants' Academy, Barnstaple

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 47

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~497m)Possible (~710m)Unlikely (~923m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Daniel Polak
Pupils:172 / 180 capacity
LA:Devon
Phone:01271342579
Address:Abbey Road, Barnstaple, EX31 1JU
Trust:TEAM MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 November 2023

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Outstanding

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 20 May 2025View full report
URN:150074
UKPRN:10093007
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:North Devon
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Pilton Infants' Academy creates a warm, caring environment where children feel safe and valued. Teachers have high expectations and use clever techniques like learning characters to help pupils build resilience and independence. The school goes beyond traditional lessons to enrich learning through singing at local events, gardening, cooking and partnerships with schools in India, helping your child develop confidence and understanding of the wider world.

Key Strengths

  • Excellent teaching of early reading with precise phonics instruction that helps pupils become confident, fluent readers
  • Well-structured, ambitious curriculum where pupils build knowledge in manageable steps and retain learning long-term
  • Outstanding personal development with strong focus on emotional resilience, British values, and understanding different cultures
  • Early identification of pupils with SEND and strong partnerships with parents leading to good achievement
  • Calm, respectful school culture where pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning

Areas for Improvement

  • Teachers do not consistently identify and address pupils' misconceptions in some subjects, which means errors can persist and learning is less effective
  • Quality of activities in early years is variable, so children do not always consolidate their knowledge as well as they could
  • Some early years activities do not connect well with the taught curriculum, limiting how well children secure important knowledge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear oversight, strong partnerships with parents, and staff who are available to support pupils with concerns.

Extracurricular Activities

Singing at local care homes and trust proms, gardening, cooking, school council, visits from air-ambulance and fire brigade, trips to town centre, partnerships with school in India

Pilton Infants' Academy is a Good school where pupils are safe, happy and achieve well. The school has designed an ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum and provides a calm, purposeful learning environment with high expectations for all pupils.

At a Glance

20.9%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

35 responses
Would recommend94%
Child is happy97%
Well taught97%
Good progress89%
Feels safe91%
Well behaved89%
Bullying dealt with14%
Kept informed94%
Handles concerns77%
Wider development89%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

29.5

Avg class size

29.5

Infant (KS1)

6

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Pathfield School (N-bound)
134m · 2 min walk
Church (opp)
165m · 3 min walk
Fire Station (opp)
201m · 3 min walk
Upper Minnow Road (W-bound)
216m · 4 min walk
Texaco Garage (NE-bound)
270m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

96%

Near capacity

172 pupils

180 capacity

8 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Barnstaple

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,447
Projected new pupils:362

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Barnstaple

Admissions Demand - Devon

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

Places available

9,263

Applications

6,758

Got 1st preference

96.2%

Got preferred school

98.9%

Primary admissions across Devon (2025/26)

Inspection History

20 May 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentOutstanding
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

6.08742%

Overall absence

14.28571%

Persistent absence

119

Enrolments

Authorised4.2659%
Unauthorised1.82152%
Persistent (10%+)14.28571%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

5.82507%
23/24
6.08742%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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