School Chooser

Milton Abbot Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy82 pupilsNurseryTavistockDevon
School Chooser Score
83
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 94, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2022
Attendance96.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places23 spare82 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher13.6School workforce census
Pupils on roll82Census January 2026

Milton Abbot Primary School is a converter academy in Tavistock for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 82 pupils and room for 105. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 83 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Milton Abbot, Tavistock, PL19 0PS01822 870273miltonabbot.devon.sch.ukMr Tom Lumby headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 September 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

3 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2024
2017: 50%50%20172018: 36%36%20182019: 69%69%20192023: 33%33%20232024: 43%43%2024
Since 2017: -7%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024†2023†2019†2018†2017†DevonEngland
Pupils tested376161414
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%33%69%36%50%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%6%0%7%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0101.0105.0106.0106.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.099.0102.0100.0102.0104.0104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0101.0102.0106.0104.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%67%81%100%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard71%50%88%50%64%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%50%81%79%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.2+3.4+0.8+0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.7-1.1-4.9-3.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Milton Abbot School, the school this one replaced in July 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places64 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
61% full

41 places were empty (39% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (17 offers for 15 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1517all offeredLA
2025 Primary1510all offeredLA
2024 Primary15all offeredLA
2023 Primary15all offeredLA
2022 Primary15all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll82Census January 2026
Places10578% full
Pupils from low-income families6%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%11 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.73 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils33%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)9%£9,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls47 / 35
White British pupils99%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 34.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Hearing impairment (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll8263
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6%13%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school0.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/24†2022/23†2021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.4%4.4%5.0%4.7%2.5%3.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.2%3.3%4.2%4.2%2.4%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.2%0.7%0.5%0.1%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence0.0%10.2%6.0%8.6%1.8%6.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.6
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0

† These attendance figures are for Milton Abbot School, the school this one replaced in July 2024. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers5.6full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher13.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£42,679
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.12024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,730England £7,128. Total £487k
Income per pupil£8,032England £7,587. Total £506k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,460England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £21k, £327 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£19kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,730spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m312 months to June 2026, mostly criminal damage and arson
Local crime rate29 per 1,000 people68% lower than the England average
Typical house price£294,496West Devon
Nearest bus stop50 mMilton Abbot School, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Lamerton CofE Primary AcademyAcademy2.8 miles47Report card 20262Compare
Lifton Community AcademyAcademy4.1 miles131Not inspected16Compare
Stoke Climsland SchoolCouncil4.1 miles185Good 202429Compare
Trekenner Community Primary SchoolFoundation4.3 miles69Requires improvement 202411Compare
Gulworthy Primary AcademyAcademy4.5 miles90No overall grade 202573Compare
Copper Valley Junior AcademyAcademy4.7 miles91Good 20227Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Milton Abbot Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 83 is 37 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 46 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Milton Abbot Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Mary Tavy and Brentor Community Primary SchoolCouncil6.0 miles103Outstanding 202390Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 83 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 83% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 94. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years0%no data
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.45
2024/25; 56 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Milton Abbot Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Milton Abbot Primary School scores 83 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Milton Abbot Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Milton Abbot Primary School good at its last full inspection on 13 September 2022.

How many pupils does Milton Abbot Primary School have?

82 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 78% full.

Is Milton Abbot Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 41 places were empty in 2024/25 (39% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Milton Abbot Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 0% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Milton Abbot Primary School?

The average class had 24.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 33% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Milton Abbot, Tavistock, PL19 0PS
Telephone
01822 870273
Website
www.miltonabbot.devon.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Tom Lumby
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust (18 schools)
Local authority
Devon
Ward
Milton Ford
Constituency
Torridge and Tavistock
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2024 (academy converter)
URN
150881 · LAESTAB 8782614 · UKPRN 10095238
Formerly
Milton Abbot School

Where these figures come from