Ilsington Church of England Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with a strong KS2 track record and an integrated pre-school

A rural Church of England primary where small numbers shape almost everything, from mixed-age teaching to leadership opportunities for older pupils. The school serves Ilsington and the surrounding area near Dartmoor, and operates as part of Link Academy Trust. Miss Katherine Williams has been headteacher since September 2024.

Academic outcomes at Key Stage 2 are a clear strength. In 2024, 75.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, above the England average of 62%. Scaled scores were also ahead of England benchmarks, with reading at 108, mathematics at 111, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 109. On FindMySchool’s ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 868th in England for primary outcomes and 1st in the Newton Abbot area.

The integrated early years offer begins at age two through Woodhouse pre-school, supporting continuity into Reception. Wraparound care is available for primary-aged children, with limited availability for pre-school children due to staffing ratios.

This is a village school in the traditional sense, closely connected to local life and daily routines. The school describes weekly use of St Michael’s Church for assembly, alongside regular use of the village hall for physical education and drama. The same local context also shapes enrichment, with an established Forest School site used weekly and outdoor space that includes a large playing field and a sensory garden.

Being small tends to make relationships more immediate. Adults know pupils well, and the leadership structure gives older pupils visible roles. The 2023 inspection report describes a calm and orderly environment, with pupils encouraged to take part more actively in lessons and to develop learning behaviours that support participation.

The Church of England character is explicit and woven through practice rather than kept as a badge. The school’s Christian values are set out as Friendship, Kindness, Honesty, Resilience, Respect and Compassion. The school also sets expectations around inclusive welcome, with an emphasis that families of different faiths, or none, are part of the community. A School Ethos Group meets half-termly to support Christian distinctiveness and to link ethos work to improvement priorities.

Woodhouse pre-school sits within the wider early years unit and is staffed by early years practitioners. The school identifies the pre-school manager as Chris Cacchione, with the pre-school team working closely with the primary staff to support transition and consistency.

The performance picture is strongest at Key Stage 2, where published outcomes indicate results above England averages.

In 2024, 75.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 29.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, above the England average of 8%. Science is also a strength in the published data, with 100% reaching the expected standard in science, compared with an England average of 82%.

Scaled scores provide additional context. Reading is 108, mathematics is 111, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 109. As a combined measure, the total reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and maths score is 328.

Rankings, based on FindMySchool’s proprietary methodology using official datasets, place the school well above average. Ranked 868th in England and 1st in the Newton Abbot area for primary outcomes, the results align with a top 10% profile in England.

A small-cohort caveat matters here. In very small primaries, one or two pupils can shift percentages more than they would in a larger school. The positive interpretation remains, but year-on-year variation can be sharper than families may be used to.

The curriculum is built to work in a small-school structure, including mixed-age classes. For 2025 to 2026, the school sets out its class organisation as Reception, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6, alongside pre-school. This model suits many pupils, because it allows work to be pitched precisely and encourages independence as pupils see older children modelling routines and learning habits.

Early reading is clearly structured. The school teaches systematic synthetic phonics through Bug Club and describes a daily lesson format in Reception, with progression through Year 1 and continued support where children need extra help later. In a small setting, targeted phonics support can be easier to organise and monitor, because staff can track individual pupils closely across year groups.

Mathematics is delivered through White Rose Maths, with an explicit mastery approach. The school describes an emphasis on secure foundations, reasoning and problem-solving, supported by a calculation policy that sets out methods across the four operations. This is consistent with the strength shown in the 2024 scaled score for maths.

Computing is delivered through Kapow Primary, with an explicit strand for online safety and digital citizenship. In practice, this tends to translate into pupils being taught how to behave responsibly online, how to manage privacy, and how to talk to adults about concerns. For families, it is reassuring when online safety is framed as part of everyday learning rather than a one-off assembly topic.

Religious education is framed as “RE and worldviews”, with curriculum time set out as around one hour per week, delivered through the Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus 2024 to 2029 and units including Understanding Christianity and RE Today. The policy also sets out coverage across Christianity and other religions, alongside non-religious worldviews such as Humanism at Key Stage 2.

For a primary school, “next steps” are shaped as much by geography as by aspiration. The school’s rural setting means families often consider travel time and transport alongside school preference, particularly for secondary transition.

The school does not publish a fixed list of feeder secondary schools as a headline feature. In practice, Devon families usually plan transition by checking secondary catchment arrangements, transport eligibility, and the pattern of where recent cohorts have moved on. For families considering a move into the area, the most reliable approach is to review Devon’s coordinated admissions information for secondary transfer and to speak to the school about typical destinations for recent leavers.

The early years journey is a key part of progression here. Woodhouse pre-school is integrated into the school and features directly in admissions priority, which can help continuity from age two through to Reception for families who want a single setting across the early years and primary phase.

Admissions for Reception entry are coordinated through the local authority route for families living in Devon, with applications open from 15 November 2025 and closing on 15 January 2026 for September 2026 entry. The allocation date for normal round Reception offers is 16 April 2026. If a place is refused, the published timetable sets an appeal deadline of 31 May 2026, with appeals heard within 40 school days, by 24 July 2026.

Demand is high relative to the school’s size. For the most recent published admissions figures there were 26 applications for 12 offers for the primary entry route, with an oversubscribed status and around 2.17 applications per place. For families, that ratio signals that admission can be competitive even before considering distance and sibling priority.

Oversubscription is structured in a way that will feel familiar to families used to Devon primary admissions, with additional features reflecting the integrated early years. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, priority includes looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional social or medical need, and then children living within the catchment, with sibling priority applied within catchment before other catchment applicants. After catchment, sibling and staff-child criteria apply, and there is also priority for children attending Ilsington School Pre-school at the time of application. Where criteria are tied, the published approach uses straight-line distance as the tiebreak.

If you are comparing options, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Map Search to measure your home-to-school distance consistently, and then sanity-checking that against the school’s published admissions priorities and the local authority process. Distance alone is not the full story here, because catchment and pre-school attendance also play a role.

Pastoral systems in small schools tend to be personal by design. The 2023 inspection report describes pupils being well known and understood by adults, with a focus on helping pupils develop learning behaviours and participate more actively in lessons. This matters for confidence as well as attainment, especially in mixed-age classes where pupils may need support to contribute alongside older peers.

The school’s safeguarding culture is described as strong, and the inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements as effective. The school also identifies deputy designated safeguarding roles within early years, including the pre-school manager, which is relevant for families starting in Woodhouse.

Personal development is shaped by both the curriculum and the faith life of the school. Pupils learn about relationships and different family forms, and the school uses assemblies and structured reflection as part of its ethos work. The spirituality framework is set out as four strands, self, others, world and beyond, intended to help pupils reflect on relationships, the wider world, and questions of meaning in an age-appropriate way.

Outdoor learning is a defining feature. The school describes weekly use of its Forest School site, which in practice often means structured sessions that combine teamwork, practical problem-solving, and resilience-building in a natural setting. For children who learn best through doing, this can be a strong complement to classroom routines.

Sport and physical activity are organised through both curriculum and enrichment. The school references hosting inter-school football with mixed teams, and participation in a Link Academy Trust cross-country event at Stover. Enrichment activities such as taekwondo feature as part of sports-themed days, giving pupils exposure to activities they may not otherwise access in a small rural setting.

Music is also systematically planned. The school’s music development plan summary for 2025 to 2026 sets an aim of one hour of music weekly through singing assemblies and taught lessons, supported by Kapow. Pupils have access to instrumental tuition opportunities, and the school identifies a choir that is free to join and open to children across year groups. A Makaton club for Year 1 upwards is another specific offer that links communication and performance, and can suit pupils who enjoy learning through song and movement. Parents should expect some optional paid extras around peripatetic tuition, such as keyboard or guitar lessons.

Clubs and community fundraising also add texture. The Friends of Ilsington group has supported activities such as arts and crafts after-school provision and yoga sessions, alongside whole-school events such as Music in the Woods. These details matter because small schools can sometimes struggle to offer breadth, and external support can help sustain a richer menu of experiences.

The school day begins at 09:00, with arrival from 08:45. The school day ends at 15:30, with a clear late-collection process that moves pupils into after-school club after 15:40 where a charge is applied.

Wraparound care is available for primary-aged children. Early to School Club runs daily from 08:00 with breakfast, or from 08:25 for an activity-only option, priced at £3.50 for the full session or £2.00 from 08:25. After School Club runs Monday to Thursday until 17:00, priced at £5.00 from 15:30 to 16:30 and £7.50 from 15:30 to 17:00. Pre-school children have very limited access to wraparound care due to staffing ratios, and families are expected to discuss any availability with the pre-school manager or the office in advance.

As a rural village school, families should plan carefully for travel and collection arrangements. The school describes links to a community bus and regular use of village facilities, which may be helpful context for day-to-day logistics.

• Very small cohorts. Results are strong, but in small year groups, percentages can shift more from year to year than they do in larger primaries. Families should read trends over time, not only a single year.

• Competitive entry. Recent admissions figures show more than two applications per offered place for Reception entry. If you are relying on this school, plan for alternative preferences in the local authority application.

• Breadth beyond academics. The 2023 inspection report highlighted that too few pupils were participating in clubs and wider opportunities at that time. The school and its community groups describe a growing menu of activities, but families who want extensive extracurricular choice should ask what is running in the current term and how participation is encouraged.

• Curriculum work on diversity. The 2023 inspection report identified that the curriculum was less well established in teaching pupils about cultural diversity in the UK. Families may want to ask how this has been strengthened, and what pupils learn about modern Britain across the curriculum.

Ilsington Church of England Primary School combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with the distinctive advantages of a small, rural primary, close relationships, mixed-age learning, and a community setting that makes outdoor education practical rather than occasional. Admission is competitive relative to the school’s size, and families should be realistic about the role of catchment, sibling priority, and pre-school attendance in securing a place.

Who it suits: families who want a small school with a clear values-driven culture, strong KS2 results, and meaningful outdoor learning, and who are comfortable with the practical realities of a village setting and the variability that can come with small cohorts.