St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School, Bideford
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Bideford, part of The Harbour Schools Partnership. It has a Church of England religious character. It was 48% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 37 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 St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School are St Margaret's Church of England Junior School (under 0.1 miles, 65% reading, 60% maths); Appledore School (0.9 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); St Mary's CofE Primary School (1.4 miles, 74% reading, 86% maths); and West Croft School (2.2 miles, Good, 65% reading, 52% maths).
St Margaret's Church of England Junior SchoolAppledore SchoolSt Mary's CofE Primary SchoolWest Croft School
The trust
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School is one of 36 schools run by The Harbour Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
What parents say
30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (93%).
Who goes there
4.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 17 pupils (15.5%) received SEN support and 12 (10.9%) 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 autism.
Staffing
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jackets Lane (se-bound), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School issued 4 suspensions, 4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 11 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2023. Before that, as St George's Church of England (VA) Infant and Nursery School (URN 113456), it was rated Good in July 2015.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St George's is a warm, inclusive school at the heart of its community where all pupils, especially those with special needs, feel safe and happy. Teachers have high expectations and provide excellent support through phonics teaching, outdoor learning, and rich enrichment activities. Parents highly value the school's commitment to every child's success and wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- Teaching of phonics is a notable strength with careful checking of pronunciation helping most pupils become confident readers
- Highly inclusive approach with experienced leaders ensuring swift identification of emerging needs and personalised support for pupils with SEND
- Excellent use of pupil premium funding to help disadvantaged pupils focus and succeed across school life
- Strong behaviour and attendance with calm, orderly classrooms and consistently high expectations
- Comprehensive personal development programme including learning powers, global citizenship, and well-planned trips and visits
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding, meaning learning activities don't always build effectively on prior knowledge
- Gaps in pupils' vocabulary knowledge in some subjects are not always secure or addressed
- A small number of subjects where pupils do not learn as well as they could due to inconsistent identification and addressing of knowledge gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with leaders fulfilling their responsibilities, establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, resulting in pupils being made safer and feeling safe.
Extracurricular Activities
school choir, ukulele lessons, beach school, outdoor learning, librarian roles, school councillor roles, chaplain roles, farm visits, dentist visits, trips and visits programme
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School is a highly inclusive school that welcomes all pupils and has created an open culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met. The school demonstrates strong leadership, ambitious expectations for all learners, and excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils.
At a Glance
20.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
30 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
17.7
Avg class size
23.5
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School.
- Our Happy Place LtdAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St George's CofE Infant and Nursery 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
- 2
- 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, 2 serious and 6 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
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 St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St George's CofE Infant and Nursery 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 George's CofE Infant and Nursery School for 2024 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
48%
Available places
100 pupils
210 places
110 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bideford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bideford
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
17
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
26.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
110
Total Pupils
52
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
12.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,464
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,428
Per pupil
£649k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
13.7%
Persistent absence
73
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
What is St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in October 2023. Before that, as St George's Church of England (VA) Infant and Nursery School (URN 113456), it was rated Good in July 2015.
What is the catchment area for St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When St George's CofE Infant and Nursery 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 George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School was not full in 2025: it ran at 48% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School average 17.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School has around 110 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 13.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming St George's CofE Infant and Nursery 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 George's CofE Infant and Nursery School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Our Happy Place Ltd (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 St George's CofE Infant and Nursery 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, 2 serious and 6 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School?
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School is at Jackets Lane, Northam, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1HT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)