St Catherine's CofE Primary School, Newton Abbot
St Catherine's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Newton Abbot. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 24th-highest of the 27 schools in Newton Abbot with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 59% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- 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 Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Catherine's CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at St Catherine's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 69% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Catherine's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 27 families put St Catherine's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 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 St Catherine's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Catherine's CofE Primary School are Blackpool Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 69% reading, 74% maths); Chudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 91% reading, 91% maths); Bovey Tracey Academy (2 miles, 76% reading, 76% maths); and Kingsteignton School (2.5 miles, Good, 67% reading, 81% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Catherine's CofE Primary School.
Blackpool Church of England Primary SchoolChudleigh Knighton Church of England Primary SchoolBovey Tracey AcademyKingsteignton School
Who goes there
36.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 52 pupils (40%) received SEN support and 10 (7.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Catherine's CofE Primary School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Newton Abbot Rail Station, about 3.6 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Musket Road (sw-bound), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Catherine's CofE Primary School issued 3 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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); DfE exclusions statistics
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?
The school is at the heart of the community. Staff provide a nurturing and caring environment. The school's values of justice, compassion, perseverance, courage and friendship underpin everyday life. Pupils are polite and kind. They respect individual differences and describe their school as inclusive. Pupils say they feel happy and safe in school. They know they have trusted adults to speak to if they have any concerns.
Pupils value the wide range of extra-curricular activities available to them. For example, pupils enjoy scuba diving and caving, as well as having overnight camps. This helps them to develop interests beyond the academic. In the local community, pupils help out at church functions, for example serving drinks to local residents. In school, pupils have roles of responsibility such as school councillors and helping in school worship. These roles help pupils to appreciate their community and to understand what it means to be an active citizen in society.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
School leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils. Following weak published outcomes for mathematics in key stage 2, the school and the federation worked strategically to improve the quality of teaching of mathematics. Governors have supported improvements by monitoring the impact of actions taken by school leaders. However, published outcomes do not yet reflect the improved quality of education that pupils receive in mathematics.
Children learn to read as soon as they start Reception class. In the early years, school leaders have identified the important vocabulary they want pupils to know and remember. These words are linked to a range of well-designed activities that help deepen children's understanding of what they are learning. For example, as part of their topic on transport, children use guttering to create imaginative waterways to funnel boats across their playground. Activities extend children's interests. Children are calm and show sustained levels of attention.
From Ofsted's July 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 July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
36.2%
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 declined from 69% to 58% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 68% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
23.3
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Catherine's CofE Primary School
Before and after school care
St Catherine's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Devon
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Catherine's CofE Primary School.
- Achieve4All - St Catherine'sAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Catherine's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Catherine's CofE 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
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
5 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 St Catherine's CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Catherine's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Catherine's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Catherine's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Catherine's CofE 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 St Catherine's CofE 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
59%
Available places
124 pupils
210 places
86 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Newton Abbot
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Newton Abbot
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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
52
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
47.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
130
Total Pupils
65
Boys
65
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
8.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,807
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,288
Per pupil
£886k
Total funding
£62k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
13.0%
Persistent absence
115
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Catherine's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Catherine's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 58% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is St Catherine's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Catherine's CofE Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Catherine's CofE 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 St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
St Catherine's CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 59% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Catherine's CofE Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
St Catherine's CofE Primary School has around 130 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at St Catherine's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 13% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming St Catherine's CofE 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 St Catherine's CofE Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Catherine's CofE Primary School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Achieve4All - St Catherine's (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 5 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 St Catherine's CofE Primary School?
St Catherine's CofE Primary School is at Musket Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6SB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)