Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School, Exeter
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 7 in Exeter. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. It was 96% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- 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
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School in detail
Getting a place at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School are Stoke Hill Junior School (0.2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths); Ladysmith Junior School (0.6 miles); Ladysmith Infant & Nursery School (0.7 miles); and St Sidwell's Church of England Primary School & Nursery (0.7 miles, 88% reading, 96% maths).
Stoke Hill Junior SchoolLadysmith Junior SchoolLadysmith Infant & Nursery SchoolSt Sidwell's Church of England Primary School & Nursery
What parents say
40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Who goes there
12.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (15.8%) received SEN support and 3 (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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St James Park (Devon) Rail Station, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
22 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (sw-bound), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 318 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, Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School issued 4 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School are St James School (0.8 miles), Thomas Hall School (1.4 miles) and St Luke's Church of England School (1.5 miles).
St James SchoolThomas Hall SchoolSt Luke's Church of England School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Children thrive at Stoke Hill because staff genuinely care about their wellbeing and build warm relationships with every child. The school offers an ambitious, well-planned curriculum with excellent teaching of reading and phonics, plus lots of enriching experiences like trips and special visitor sessions. Pupils develop into responsible, respectful citizens through meaningful leadership roles and a strong focus on British Values and mental health.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with excellent pastoral care and early settling in for nursery children
- Well-designed curriculum with clear progression in knowledge, particularly strong phonics teaching and reading promotion
- Excellent wider development opportunities including trips, visits, and pupil leadership roles that help children become responsible citizens
- Clear behaviour expectations with pupils moving around school sensibly and respectfully
- Good support for pupils with special educational needs, identified early to ensure appropriate help
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistency in matching work to pupils' different starting points - some pupils given tasks too challenging or too easy for their level
- Some younger writers not receiving enough support to secure basic transcription skills before moving to complex writing tasks
- Early years staff need stronger expertise to consistently support children's personal, social and emotional development so they are better prepared for the next stage
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff taking time to build relationships where pupils feel well cared for and know adults will help with any worries.
Extracurricular Activities
Regular trips and visits, wildlife champions garden project, 'secret story teller' reading visits, 10 a day mental health support, before- and after-school club at junior school
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is a Good school where pupils are happy, well cared for, and show positive attitudes to learning. The school has raised its ambition through curriculum redesign, though there is some variability in how consistently high expectations are met across all pupils.
At a Glance
12.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
40 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
25.8
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Stoke Hill 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
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
Will you get a place at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Stoke Hill 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery 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
96%
Near capacity
258 pupils
270 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Exeter
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Exeter
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
16.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
284
Total Pupils
143
Boys
141
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
18.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,968
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,154
Per pupil
£1490k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
11.0%
Persistent absence
182
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
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
Questions parents ask about Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School
What is Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Stoke Hill 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Classes at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School average 25.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School has around 284 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School in 2024/25. 11% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Stoke Hill 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.
How many road collisions happen near Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School?
Stoke Hill Infant and Nursery School is at Stoke Hill, Exeter, Devon, EX4 7DB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)