West Hill Primary School, Ottery St Mary

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades West Hill Primary School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "On the whole, pupils achieve well at West Hill Primary School."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "School leaders have a well-informed understanding of attendance and the behaviour and attitudes of pupils at West Hill."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "School leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and the curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "School leaders have reasserted their commitment to supporting disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The school has recently experienced turbulence in leadership and governance."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Recently, leaders have reviewed the provision for personal development and wellbeing."

Early years - Needs attention. "While children achieve well by the time they leave Reception Year, school leaders have taken strategic steps to improve the quality of the provision in the early years."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should develop the quality of education and provision in the early years, including making sure that staff design activities that build on what pupils already know"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment accurately to identify misconceptions and adapt learning so that all pupils develop deep knowledge across the curriculum and achieve more highly across all subjects"; "Leaders should strengthen writing across the curriculum by ensuring consistent expectations for the accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar"; "Leaders should strengthen pupils' understanding of fundamental British values, the protected characteristics and different faiths to ensure that pupils are very well prepared for life beyond school".

In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at West Hill Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 97% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 97% in reading and 90% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 41 families put West Hill Primary School as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 11 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to West Hill Primary School are Tipton St John Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 65% reading, 65% maths); Ottery St Mary Primary School (2.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 72% maths); Whimple Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 85% reading, 80% maths); and Newton Poppleford Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 77% maths).

West Hill Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.

West Hill Primary School is one of 2 schools run by Smile Learning Trust, an academy trust.

3.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 22 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 3 (1.4%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Whimple Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Post Office (ne-bound), 160 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood West Hill Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).

In 2024/25, West Hill Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.