St Michael's Church of England Academy, Paignton
St Michael's Church of England Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Paignton, part of Learning Academy Partnership (south West). It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024. It was 32% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- 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 Torbay (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Michael's Church of England Academy in detail
St Michael's Church of England Academy in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £6 per session.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at St Michael's Church of England Academy
For September 2026 entry, 20 families put St Michael's Church of England Academy as their first choice and 37 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 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 Michael's Church of England Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Michael's Church of England Academy are Curledge Street Academy (0.1 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); Hayes School (0.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 83% maths); Sacred Heart Catholic School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths); and Oldway Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 73% reading, 77% maths).
Curledge Street AcademyHayes SchoolSacred Heart Catholic SchoolOldway Primary School
The trust
St Michael's Church of England Academy is one of 22 schools run by Learning Academy Partnership (south West), an academy trust.
Who goes there
6.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Asian (5%).
In 2026, 16 pupils (15.8%) received SEN support and 1 (1%) 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 Michael's Church of England Academy had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Paignton (Paignton and Dartmouth Railway), about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Micheals Road (opposite), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Michael's Church of England Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
23.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
19.8
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
23.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Michael's Church of England Academy
Reception Tours available for booking!
29 Sep 2026
Year 4 Residential
7 Jul 2026
Year 3 & 4 Girls Football Tournament
7 Jul 2026
Years 1-4 start rugby sessions
30 Jun 2026
Year 3 & 4 Cricket Participation Festival
12 Jun 2026
Year 3/4 Boys Football Tournament
22 May 2026
From St Michael's Church of England Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Michael's Church of England Academy
Before and after school care
St Michael's Church of England Academy 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 Torbay
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Michael's Church of England Academy.
- Kinetic Sports Group - Hayes530m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Michael's Church of England Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Michael's Church of England Academy is in Torbay; for families living there:
Apply to Torbay for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 20 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 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 Michael's Church of England Academy
Will you get a place at St Michael's Church of England Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Michael's Church of England Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Michael's Church of England Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Michael's Church of England Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Torbay, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Michael's Church of England Academy for 2022 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Torbay 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
32%
Available places
67 pupils
210 places
143 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Paignton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Paignton
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,357
Applications
1,000
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
16.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
101
Total Pupils
54
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
20.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,279
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,295
Per pupil
£618k
Total funding
£14k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
7.1%
Persistent absence
56
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Michael's Church of England Academy
Questions parents ask about St Michael's Church of England Academy
What is St Michael's Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Michael's Church of England Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Michael's Church of England Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Michael's Church of England Academy is oversubscribed, Torbay allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Michael's Church of England Academy?
St Michael's Church of England Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 32% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Michael's Church of England Academy?
Classes at St Michael's Church of England Academy average 19.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Michael's Church of England Academy?
St Michael's Church of England Academy has around 101 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Michael's Church of England Academy?
3.9% of sessions were missed at St Michael's Church of England Academy in 2024/25. 7.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Michael's Church of England Academy?
Apply through Torbay's coordinated admissions process, naming St Michael's Church of England Academy 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 Michael's Church of England Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
St Michael's Church of England Academy 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 within a kilometre of St Michael's Church of England Academy: Kinetic Sports Group - Hayes (530m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near St Michael's Church of England Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 20 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Michael's Church of England Academy?
St Michael's Church of England Academy is at Fisher Street, Paignton, TQ4 5EW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)