Broadhempston Village Primary School Review 2026: Small-school scale, big-school ambition

A village primary with the advantages of being genuinely small, plus the academic outcomes many much larger schools chase. Broadhempston Village Primary School sits in the elite tier for primary performance in England, with Key Stage 2 results that are well above national benchmarks. Forest School and learning beyond the classroom are not bolt-ons here, they are part of how pupils build confidence, vocabulary, and curiosity.

Leadership is recent, and the school is part of Link Academy Trust, so families get the local feel of a village school alongside trust-wide support and shared enrichment opportunities.

Broadhempston is organised as a small primary with mixed-age classes, the kind of structure where older pupils are expected to model routines and help younger ones settle quickly. External review evidence describes pupils as thoughtful and socially mature, with a strong culture of looking out for each other and resolving minor conflicts with increasing independence. Behaviour is described as exemplary, and that tone matters in a small setting where everyone shares the same spaces.

The school building itself has long roots in the village, with historic inspection material noting the school was built in 1870 and later modernised. That long-running local presence shows up in how the school frames its identity, as a place rooted in community and village life rather than a purely transactional “drop-off and go” experience.

Leadership is clear and visible. The current headteacher is Karen Barlow, appointed in September 2024, and also listed on official records as the headteacher or principal.

In day-to-day terms, the website presents the head’s role as hands-on, and also linked to safeguarding leadership, which is typical in small primaries where senior leaders wear multiple hats.

The headline story is sustained, exceptional attainment at the end of Key Stage 2.

Rankings first, because they help parents orientate quickly. Broadhempston Village Primary School is ranked 60th in England and 1st in Teignbridge for primary outcomes, a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data. This places it among the highest-performing in England (top 2%).

On the key combined measure, 94.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in the latest published results, compared with an England average of 62%. The proportion achieving the higher standard is also striking, 61% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, versus an England average of 8%.

Scaled scores are similarly strong: reading 114, maths 110, and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) 112. The dataset also shows 100% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, maths, GPS, and science. (These results should be read in the context of a small cohort, where year-to-year movement can look more dramatic than it would in a two-form entry school.)

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tool can make it easier to benchmark this performance against nearby primaries using the same measures and time window.

The most persuasive signal here is alignment: curriculum ambition, strong early reading, and outcomes that confirm pupils really are learning and retaining. External evidence describes an ambitious, broad curriculum, with pupils gaining detailed knowledge across subjects and participating confidently in discussion.

Early reading is a particular strength. The school’s approach is framed as consistent and well supported for pupils who find it harder at first, and that matters because early reading is a compounding advantage across every other subject. When pupils become fluent readers early, comprehension improves, writing develops faster, and independent research becomes part of everyday classroom life.

There is also an explicit “what needs tightening” thread, which is helpful for parents who want a balanced picture. The most recent inspection identifies that formative assessment is not used consistently enough to ensure pupils practise the right skills at the right time, and that some pupils in Key Stage 1 need to secure the foundations of accurate sentence writing before being expected to produce extended writing later on. In practical terms, the message is not that standards are low, but that precision in sequencing and checking learning is a current improvement lever.

Language learning starts early, with Spanish referenced as an example of curriculum ambition in Key Stage 1. In a small school, that kind of early entitlement often doubles as confidence-building, children get used to speaking up, having a go, and making mistakes safely, all of which supports oracy and classroom participation.

For a primary, “next steps” is less about a polished destinations list and more about transition confidence, readiness for secondary routines, and local pathways.

Devon’s own school information identifies King Edward VI Community College as the feeder secondary for Broadhempston. That gives families a clear default route, and it also helps explain why the school places emphasis on maturity and leadership, as those traits ease the jump to a much larger Year 7 cohort.

The other important “next step” is personal development. External evidence highlights a strong range of leadership and citizenship opportunities, alongside a culture that encourages pupils to go the extra mile for causes they care about. That kind of lived experience often shows up in secondary as confidence in group work, willingness to take on responsibilities, and the ability to speak to adults comfortably.

Broadhempston Village Primary School is state-funded, so there are no tuition fees. Admission is the competitive piece.

The admissions authority is Link Academy Trust, but the school participates in Devon County Council’s co-ordinated admissions schemes for both normal round and in-year applications. In other words, families apply via the local authority rather than directly to the school.

The most recent published admissions demand data indicates the school is oversubscribed, with 13 applications recorded for 3 offers, a ratio of 4.33 applications per place. In a small school, a handful of additional applicants can change the picture quickly, but the overall implication is clear: this is not a “last minute and still fine” admissions situation.

For September 2026 Reception entry in Devon, applications open on 15 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026, with allocations released on 16 April 2026.

The school’s published appeals timetable then runs with an appeal form deadline of 31 May 2026, and appeals scheduled to be heard by 24 July 2026.

Visits are encouraged and arranged by contacting the school, rather than relying on fixed mass open days. For many parents, that is actually more useful, you get a quieter conversation about mixed-age classes, current numbers in year groups, and how the school handles transition into Reception.

The clearest signal here is the safeguarding position. The arrangements for safeguarding are reported as effective, and that is the baseline parents need to see.

Beyond safeguarding, the pastoral picture is strongly linked to the school’s small scale. External evidence points to pupils’ readiness to help each other, and to a calm culture where conflicts are often resolved without escalation. In practice, that tends to mean fewer low-level disruptions in lessons, more learning time, and a climate where quieter children are more likely to participate.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as effective, including support for speech and language and for social and emotional needs. The trust’s inclusion hub is referenced as a source of courses and additional help for some pupils and parents, which is a useful “small school plus” feature: you keep the village-school feel, while accessing wider specialist capacity when needed.

This is where Broadhempston differentiates itself most clearly from other small primaries.

Forest School and outdoor learning

Forest School is described as a structured, recurring entitlement rather than a one-off enrichment day. The school’s Forest School materials describe activities such as den-building, mini-beast hunting, natural art, and learning to light campfires safely, with an emphasis on supported risk-taking and child-led exploration.

The practical implication is that pupils who learn best through hands-on experiences have regular opportunities to build vocabulary, resilience, and problem-solving in a setting where outcomes are not limited to worksheets.

Pupil voice and clubs

A distinctive detail from external review evidence is the way pupils influence extracurricular planning, with high participation reported in clubs including chess. In a small school, that sort of ownership can have an outsized impact: when pupils feel activities are “theirs”, attendance rises, and reluctant joiners are more likely to get involved because everyone knows each other.

Community-minded projects

Two examples capture the school’s personal development strengths. One is a community initiative involving “bags of kindness” delivered to neighbours. Another is a partnership project with children in Uganda, where pupils grow produce and compare outcomes, an unusually concrete way to teach global awareness.

The school also links learning to civic action, with pupils fundraising for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds after studying wildlife. These are strong signals for parents who value character education that looks like doing, not just talking.

Music and enrichment

The welcome information published by the school includes peripatetic music options such as guitar, recorder, and flute lessons on specific weekdays. For families considering instrument learning, that in-school availability often makes the difference between “we might” and “we actually will”.

The school day runs with arrival between 8:45am and 8:55am and ends at 3:30pm, as set out in the school’s parent information.

Wraparound care is available, with breakfast club listed as 7:45am to 8:45am on Tuesday to Friday, and after-school provision operating on multiple weekdays, including sessions run directly by the school and additional provision run by an external sports provider. Session costs are published as £4 for breakfast club and £8 for the school-run after-school session.

As a rural village school, day-to-day transport is typically family-led. Parents should check Devon’s local authority guidance for home-to-school transport eligibility and current local routes where relevant.

• Small cohort effects. Results are exceptionally high, but in a very small Year 6 cohort, percentages can swing year to year. Look for the underlying habits, reading culture, behaviour, attendance, and curriculum strength, not just a single headline figure.

• Oversubscription pressure. Recent demand data indicates more than four applications per place. If you need a Reception place for a specific year, plan early and treat the local authority deadline as immovable.

• Writing foundations are a current improvement focus. External evidence highlights that some pupils need stronger Key Stage 1 sentence accuracy before moving to longer writing later, and that assessment information is not always used consistently to target the right practice. Parents of children who struggle with writing mechanics should ask how support is structured in mixed-age classes.

• Wraparound is real but scheduled. Breakfast and after-school sessions run on specific days and timings, not necessarily every weekday in the same format. Families needing full-week wraparound should check the current pattern carefully.

Broadhempston Village Primary School offers rare combination value: elite academic outcomes in a genuinely small, relationship-led setting, with Forest School and community projects that give pupils confidence and perspective. Best suited to families who want high attainment without giving up outdoor learning and strong personal development, and who are comfortable with mixed-age teaching in a small cohort. Securing entry is where the difficulty lies, so treat admissions planning as part of the decision.