West Hill Primary School, Ottery St Mary

Good
Primary
Foundation school
Mixed
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.0km)Possible (~2.8km)Unlikely (~3.7km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Rob Pantling
Pupils:216 / 218 capacity
LA:Devon
Phone:01404812599
Address:Beech Park, West Hill, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1UQ
Trust:Smile Learning Trust
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:113106
UKPRN:10077482
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Honiton and Sidmouth
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

West Hill Primary School excels in mathematics teaching with demanding work that helps pupils learn from their mistakes. The school is a safe, calm place where pupils behave well and feel genuinely cared for by staff. Pupils benefit from strong leadership that prioritises support for disadvantaged children and those with special needs, ensuring they achieve well by the time they leave.

Key Strengths

  • Mathematics teaching is a strength with appropriately demanding work and effective teacher checks on pupil understanding
  • Safeguarding is effective with an open culture where concerns are actively identified and managed
  • Pupils behave well, are polite and kind, and experience low-level disruption
  • Year 6 achievement exceeds national averages for all groups of pupils
  • Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs

Areas for Improvement

  • Writing quality varies too much and teachers do not always identify misspellings of age-appropriate words
  • Year 4 multiplication test and Year 1 phonics check outcomes are closer to national averages rather than exceeding them
  • Assessment in the wider curriculum is not always effective, and feedback does not always help pupils address misconceptions
  • Early years provision needs further development to match the quality of older year groups

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Model building, choir, crochet club, bead-making club, circus skills workshop, residential trips to outdoor education centres with rock climbing and abseiling, museum trips, zoo and wildlife sanctuary visits

West Hill Primary School is a village primary school where pupils achieve well overall, with Year 6 outcomes exceeding national averages. The school has recently experienced leadership changes and now operates under an interim executive board, which has successfully stabilised the school and improved communication with parents.

At a Glance

3.2%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+3ppMaths+7ppWriting-6pp

Reading has remained stable at around 100%. Maths has improved from 90% to 97%. Writing has declined from 97% to 91%.

Class Sizes

29.0

Avg class size

27.0

Infant (KS1)

30.5

KS2

7

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Post Office (NE-bound)
157m · 3 min walk
Oak Tree Gardens (N-bound)
233m · 4 min walk
School Lane (W-bound)
390m · 6 min walk
Hawkins Lane (N-bound)
608m · 10 min walk
Garage (E-bound)
795m · 13 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

99%

Near capacity

216 pupils

218 capacity

2 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Ottery St Mary

High pressure
New homes approved:140
Projected new pupils:35

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ottery St Mary

Admissions Demand - Devon

Low demand0.73x oversubscription

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(15)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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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.

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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.

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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.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.13953%

Overall absence

5.05618%

Persistent absence

178

Enrolments

Authorised2.72274%
Unauthorised0.41679%
Persistent (10%+)5.05618%
Severe (50%+)0.5618%

Absence trend

2.29813%
18/19
1.54251%
20/21
5.07637%
21/22
3.91686%
22/23
3.86805%
23/24
3.13953%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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