West Down School, Ilfracombe
West Down School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Ilfracombe, part of The Harbour Schools Partnership. It was 81% full in 2025.
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
West Down School in detail
Results
West Down School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, under its previous registration (URN 113172), 83% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
Getting a place at West Down School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put West Down School as their first choice and 12 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 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 West Down School are Marwood School (3.1 miles); Ilfracombe Infant and Nursery School (3.2 miles, Good); Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School (3.3 miles, Good, 63% reading, 60% maths); and Woolacombe School (3.4 miles, Good, 90% reading, 80% maths).
Marwood SchoolIlfracombe Infant and Nursery SchoolIlfracombe Church of England Junior SchoolWoolacombe School
The trust
West Down School is one of 36 schools run by The Harbour Schools Partnership, an academy trust.
Who goes there
14.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
West Down School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of West Down School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Square (w-bound), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).
Sources: DfE school performance data; GIAS establishment links; 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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
West Down School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2025. Before that, as West Down School (URN 113172), it was rated Good in October 2019.
At a Glance
14.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.8
Avg class size
17.0
Infant (KS1)
24.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
Results at West Down School before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113172). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 92% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 75% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 50% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with West Down School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to West Down School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. West Down 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 West Down School
Will you get a place at West Down School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against West Down School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for West Down School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to West Down School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at West Down School for 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
81%
Available places
85 pupils
105 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ilfracombe
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ilfracombe
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
20
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
25.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
95
Total Pupils
45
Boys
50
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
10.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,866
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at West Down School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published under the school's previous registration (URN 113172). There are no figures for it in its current form yet, so these are shown separately.
5.9%
Overall absence
13.5%
Persistent absence
74
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about West Down School
Are there exam results for West Down School?
West Down School has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, under its previous registration (URN 113172), 83% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is West Down School's Ofsted rating?
West Down School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in April 2025. Before that, as West Down School (URN 113172), it was rated Good in October 2019.
What is the catchment area for West Down School?
No fixed boundary. When West Down 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 West Down School?
West Down School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 105 places.
How big are the classes at West Down School?
Classes at West Down School average 20.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to West Down School?
West Down School has around 95 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to West Down School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming West Down 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 West Down School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is West Down School?
West Down School is at West Down, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8NF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)