St Mary's CofE Primary School, Bideford
St Mary's CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Bideford, part of The Harbour Schools Partnership. It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 12 schools in Bideford with published results, and 5,775th of 14,452 across England. It was 94% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- 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 Mary's CofE Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's CofE Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Getting a place at St Mary's CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put St Mary's CofE Primary School as their first choice and 69 named it as one of their preferences, for 34 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 Mary's CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's CofE Primary School are West Croft School (0.9 miles, Good, 65% reading, 52% maths); East-the-Water Community Primary School (1 mile, Good, 74% reading, 82% maths); St Margaret's Church of England Junior School (1.3 miles, 65% reading, 60% maths); and St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School (1.4 miles).
St Mary's CofE Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
West Croft SchoolEast-the-Water Community Primary SchoolSt Margaret's Church of England Junior SchoolSt George's CofE Infant and Nursery School
The trust
St Mary's CofE Primary School is one of 36 schools run by The Harbour Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Who goes there
1.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 50 pupils (12.6%) received SEN support and 12 (3%) 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.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Mary's CofE Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chanters Road (se-bound), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 117 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
In 2024/25, St Mary's CofE Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 2 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
St Mary's CofE Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as St Mary's Church of England Primary School (URN 113385), it was rated Good in October 2016.
At a Glance
18.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
29.1
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's CofE Primary School
Getting There
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary'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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- 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, 3 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 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 Mary's CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary's CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary'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 Mary's CofE Primary School for 2025 and 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
94%
Near capacity
391 pupils
415 places
24 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
50
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
15.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
397
Total Pupils
199
Boys
198
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
22
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,728
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2129k
Total funding
£86k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
11.3%
Persistent absence
344
Enrolments
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Mary's CofE Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary's CofE Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary's CofE Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's CofE Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in September 2024. Before that, as St Mary's Church of England Primary School (URN 113385), it was rated Good in October 2016.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary'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 Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 94% of its 415 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Classes at St Mary's CofE Primary School average 28.4 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School has around 397 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's CofE Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St Mary's CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 11.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's CofE Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary'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.
How many road collisions happen near St Mary's CofE Primary 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, 3 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Mary's CofE Primary School?
St Mary's CofE Primary School is at Chanters Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)