Woolsery Primary School, Bideford
Woolsery Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bideford, part of Atlantic Coast Co-Operative Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 12 schools in Bideford with published results, and 12,253rd of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Woolsery Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Woolsery Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 62% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 67% in reading and 50% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Woolsery Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Woolsery Primary School as their first choice and 15 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Woolsery Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Woolsery Primary School are Parkham Primary School (3.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 88% maths); Bradworthy Primary Academy (4.3 miles, Requires improvement, 79% reading, 85% maths); and Hartland Primary School (4.9 miles, Good, 79% reading, 95% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Woolsery Primary School.
Parkham Primary SchoolBradworthy Primary AcademyHartland Primary School
The trust
Woolsery Primary School is one of 6 schools run by Atlantic Coast Co-Operative Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
11.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (14.8%) received SEN support and 3 (2.8%) 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
Woolsery Primary School had 11 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Woolsery Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Farmers Arms (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Woolsery Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.1%
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 remained stable at around 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 50% to 62% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 58% to 46% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.6
Avg class size
19.5
Infant (KS1)
24.0
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Woolsery Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Woolsery Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Woolsery Primary 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 Woolsery Primary School
Will you get a place at Woolsery Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Woolsery Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Woolsery Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Woolsery Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Woolsery Primary 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
84%
Available places
118 pupils
140 places
22 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bideford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bideford
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
16
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
17.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
55
Boys
53
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
9.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,079
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,924
Per pupil
£709k
Total funding
£18k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
7.5%
Persistent absence
107
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Woolsery Primary School
What are SATs results like at Woolsery Primary School?
Of the pupils at Woolsery Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 62% did so in maths.
What is Woolsery Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Woolsery Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023.
What is the catchment area for Woolsery Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Woolsery Primary 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 Woolsery Primary School?
Woolsery Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Woolsery Primary School?
Classes at Woolsery Primary School average 21.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Woolsery Primary School?
Woolsery Primary School has around 108 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Woolsery Primary School?
4% of sessions were missed at Woolsery Primary School in 2024/25. 7.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Woolsery Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming Woolsery Primary 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 Woolsery Primary 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 Woolsery Primary School?
Woolsery Primary School is at Woolsery, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5QS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)