St Michael’s Church of England Academy, Paignton Review 2026: A young primary with a clear faith-led identity

Because St Michael’s was planned to add a new year group each September as it matured, it has not had the same long runway of published key stage outcomes that established primaries can show. The original pre-registration documentation set out that staged growth model, which is important context when comparing results pages across local schools.

What you can evaluate instead is the strength of curriculum intent, delivery systems, and early indicators of consistency. The school describes its curriculum as knowledge-rich, with an emphasis on foundational knowledge and building concepts carefully so pupils are ready for the next stage.

For parents shortlisting primaries in Torbay, it is worth using FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools to line up what is actually available across nearby options as cohorts move through, especially where published results are not yet the main differentiator.

Teaching and learning at St Michael’s is presented in a structured way, with strong emphasis on language and communication. In English, the school explicitly foregrounds oracy and confidence as communicators, positioning reading and vocabulary development as central rather than peripheral.

In early years, the school outlines a play-based and skills-building approach within the Early Years Foundation Stage, emphasising speaking and listening, concentration, and social and emotional development as key learning skills. This matters because the school admits pupils from age 2, and the handover from nursery to Reception is often where parents most want clarity on routines, communication, and how quickly children settle into learning habits.

Curriculum breadth appears to be taken seriously even in a small, growing school. Subject pages show that foundation subjects are framed around real-world context and purposeful outcomes, for example in design technology where pupils are expected to research, plan, design, make, and critique products that solve relevant problems.

For a primary, “where pupils go next” is about transition readiness, local secondary pathways, and how the school supports families in planning early. Because St Michael’s is growing year by year, the most relevant point is how the school prepares pupils for the habits and independence needed at secondary, rather than a long record of established feeder patterns. The curriculum intent places weight on knowledge, vocabulary, and confidence in communication, all of which tend to transfer well into Key Stage 3 expectations.

Families in Torbay will usually want to understand the relationship between home address, secondary catchment rules, and transport practicality well ahead of Year 6. If you are considering St Michael’s because of location, it is sensible to treat secondary planning as a parallel track, not something to leave until later, and to check how distance and admissions priorities play out in practice across the local authority.

Admissions are shaped by two realities. First, the school is popular relative to places in the Reception entry route data, with 38 applications and 23 offers, and an oversubscribed status. Second, the school has nursery provision, and published admissions policies make nursery attendance relevant to priority ordering (after higher priority categories).

The school’s admissions page gives a clear example of timings for Reception applications for a prior cycle, stating that the application round opened on 1 November and closed on 15 January. While the page refers to a past entry year, it indicates the typical annual window families should expect for the next cycle, with the local authority coordinating the process.

The published admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets out oversubscription criteria and tie-break approaches, including nursery attendance as a priority category and staff children within specified conditions. This is the kind of detail that matters when a school is oversubscribed because small differences in priority category can determine outcomes.

If your plan depends on proximity, use FindMySchool’s Map Search tools to understand your likely distance and how that might interact with the local authority’s criteria year to year, especially where the “last offered distance” figure is not available as a simple headline.

Safeguarding messaging is direct and prominent. The school describes safeguarding as its number one priority, and also participates in Operation Encompass, a police and school partnership that supports children who have been exposed to domestic abuse incidents. The school lists named key adults connected to that initiative, which is a practical indicator of how safeguarding roles are distributed beyond a single lead.

For families, the most useful implication is that wellbeing support is framed as part of curriculum and daily routines rather than an occasional intervention. The school explicitly links pupil premium use to support that can include breakfast clubs and counselling for emotional health and wellbeing, suggesting an awareness that readiness to learn is not only academic.

The latest inspection also supports a broadly positive picture across behaviour, personal development, and leadership, which usually correlates with predictable routines and consistent expectations in the classroom and at social times.

A developing school often has to be deliberate about enrichment so that opportunities do not depend on legacy staffing or long-established traditions. St Michael’s uses a few clearly defined structures. One is enrichment groups on Friday afternoons, framed as pupil choice and exploration of interests, which can be especially valuable for confidence-building in younger primaries.

Sport is supported through an external specialist, Saints Southwest, which provides weekly PE sessions and also runs a free after-school sports club in at least one term offer described by the school. The value here is twofold. Pupils get consistent specialist input, and staff can build their own confidence and practice through working alongside coaches.

The school also runs breakfast provision and extended after-school care, which, while primarily practical for working families, often doubles as a social and play-based enrichment space, particularly for pupils who benefit from steady routines at the start and end of the day.

The school day has a clear start routine. Gates open at 8:30am and close at 8:40am. School ends at 2:50pm for nursery and Reception, and 3:00pm for other year groups.

Wraparound care is explicitly offered. The school states it provides before- and after-school club provision Monday to Friday, with extended after-school care running from 3:00pm to 6:00pm in a published notice. A separate breakfast club announcement indicates a daily 8:00am to 8:30am breakfast and childcare offer for Reception to Year 3 as part of an early adopter model.

Location-wise, St Michael’s sits in Paignton town centre, which is helpful for families who want walkability and straightforward public transport options rather than a car-dependent school run.

• A young school building momentum. St Michael’s opened in September 2021 and was designed to grow year by year. This can feel exciting and purposeful, but it also means fewer long-established traditions and less long-run public outcomes data than older primaries.

• Oversubscription is real. With 38 applications and 23 offers in the most recent Reception entry route data, demand exceeds places. Families should read oversubscription criteria carefully and plan early.

• Nursery can matter for continuity. The published admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 includes priority for children attending the nursery (after higher priority categories). If your plan is nursery to Reception, check how this interacts with the wider criteria and timelines.

• Wraparound age scope. The wraparound care page specifies availability to children aged 4 to 8, which is great for early years and Key Stage 1, but families with older primary pupils should confirm what is currently offered as cohorts move up.

St Michael’s is a Church of England primary that has moved quickly from new-school foundations to a stable, consistently judged “Good” profile, with early years also rated “Good” in the most recent inspection. The offer will suit families who want a values-led school in central Paignton, with clear routines, visible safeguarding systems, and practical wraparound care for younger pupils. The main challenge is admission pressure, so this is a school to approach with an organised timeline and a realistic understanding of oversubscription criteria.