The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School, Exmouth
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school excels at creating a caring, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and behave well. Children benefit from warm relationships with staff and a strong emphasis on personal development, with pupils proudly participating in enriching activities like the school choir and orchestra. The school also provides excellent pastoral support for families, helping parents manage challenges like anxiety.
Key Strengths
- Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed
- Pupils generally behave well and follow school routines with effective support for those with challenging behaviour
- Wide range of enriching activities and clubs help develop pupils' character and confidence
- Strong pastoral support for families including workshops on managing anxiety and resilience
- Good attendance rates broadly in line with national average
Areas for Improvement
- Many pupils do not learn essential phonics knowledge needed for secure reading, with gaps persisting as they progress through school
- Early years curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious or well sequenced, leaving some children unprepared for Year 1
- Staff do not consistently implement the curriculum well, particularly in reading and writing
- Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is not precise or consistent enough to help them close knowledge gaps
- Leadership actions have not improved key weaknesses quickly enough despite identifying the right priorities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed.
Extracurricular Activities
School choir, orchestra, school pantomime, beach cleans, sporting events, variety of clubs, global coastal schools sea sewage awareness project
The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School requires special measures as it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. While the school has strengths in safeguarding, behaviour, and personal development, significant weaknesses in early reading instruction, curriculum implementation, and leadership are preventing many pupils from achieving as well as they should.
At a Glance
19.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 67% to 60%. Maths has improved from 61% to 73%. Writing has improved from 50% to 83%.
Class Sizes
27.7
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Latest from The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School
From The Beacon Church of England (VA) Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
72%
Available places
151 pupils
210 capacity
59 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Exmouth
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Exmouth
Admissions Demand - Devon
Places available
9,263
Applications
6,758
Got 1st preference
96.2%
Got preferred school
98.9%
Primary admissions across Devon (2025/26)
Inspection History(7)
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.43306%
Overall absence
11.33333%
Persistent absence
150
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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