The Topsham School, Exeter
The Topsham School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Exeter. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 47th-highest of the 48 schools in Exeter with published results, and 12,528th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- 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 26 Oct 2026
The Topsham School in detail
Results
In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at The Topsham School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 80% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Topsham School
For September 2026 entry, 25 families put The Topsham School as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Topsham School are Trinity CofE Primary and Nursery School (1.1 miles, 82% reading, 78% maths); Exminster Community Primary (1.2 miles, Good, 90% reading, 88% maths); Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 88% maths); and Countess Wear Primary School (1.3 miles, 52% reading, 41% maths).
The Topsham School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Trinity CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolExminster Community PrimaryLady Seaward's Church of England Primary SchoolCountess Wear Primary School
Who goes there
14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 49 pupils (25.9%) received SEN support and 7 (3.7%) 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
The Topsham School had 17 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
The nearest railway station is Topsham Rail Station, about 360 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lord Nelson Inn (near), 160 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
The Topsham School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from February 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
14.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 57% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 80% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
28.5
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Topsham School
Getting There
Train Stations
Ferry Terminals
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Topsham School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Topsham 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
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 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 The Topsham School
Will you get a place at The Topsham School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Topsham School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Topsham School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Topsham School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Topsham 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
91%
Near capacity
190 pupils
208 places
18 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
29.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
189
Total Pupils
94
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
11.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,776
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,522
Per pupil
£1177k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
15.1%
Persistent absence
172
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about The Topsham School
What are SATs results like at The Topsham School?
Of the pupils at The Topsham School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 57% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is The Topsham School's Ofsted rating?
The Topsham School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Topsham School?
No fixed boundary. When The Topsham 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 The Topsham School?
The Topsham School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 208 places.
How big are the classes at The Topsham School?
Classes at The Topsham School average 27 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Topsham School?
The Topsham School has around 189 pupils on roll. 14% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Topsham School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at The Topsham School in 2024/25. 15.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Topsham School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming The Topsham 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 The Topsham School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Topsham School?
The Topsham School is at Orchard Way, Topsham, Exeter, Devon, EX3 0DN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)