West Down School
West Down School is a converter academy in Ilfracombe for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 95 pupils and room for 105. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.
West Down, Ilfracombe, EX34 8NF01271 863461westberryfederation.org.ukMrs Faye Poynter headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 October 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
This inspection is more than 7 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
12 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. These are the results of West Down School, the school this one replaced.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025† | 2024† | 2023† | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 42% | 50% | 69% | 58% | 64% | 42% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 17% | 0% | 15% | 8% | 9% | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 | 101.0 | 105.8 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 108.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 | 105.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 104.0 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 109.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 100.0 | 104.1 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 83% | 92% | 85% | 67% | 73% | 58% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 83% | 75% | 85% | 75% | 73% | 67% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 50% | 50% | 69% | 67% | 73% | 83% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | +1.0 | -1.5 | -3.7 | -1.8 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | +3.0 | -1.1 | -3.0 | -1.7 | – | – |
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 West Down School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. 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.
20 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.
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 (10 offers for 15 places).
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (8), language and communications needs (8), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25† | 2023/24† | 2022/23† | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.9% | 4.5% | 6.5% | 7.7% | 1.9% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.8% | 3.7% | 5.4% | 7.0% | 1.9% | 3.7% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 13.5% | 8.2% | 14.8% | 22.5% | 2.2% | 6.9% | 12.8% |
† These attendance figures are for West Down School, the school this one replaced in April 2025. 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.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marwood School | Academy | 3.1 miles | 72 | Requires improvement 2022 | – | Compare |
| Ilfracombe Infant and Nursery School | Council | 3.2 miles | 207 | No overall grade 2025 | 0 | Compare |
| Ilfracombe Church of England Junior School | Church of England | 3.3 miles | 326 | No overall grade 2024 | 9 | Compare |
| Woolacombe School | Academy | 3.4 miles | 216 | Good 2023 | 44 | Compare |
| Georgeham Church of England Primary School | Academy | 3.5 miles | 76 | Good 2019 | 13 | Compare |
| Caen Community Primary School | Foundation | 3.7 miles | 328 | Good 2023 | 41 | Compare |
| Kingsacre Primary School | Foundation | 3.8 miles | 177 | Report card 2026 | 90 | Compare |
| Southmead School | Foundation | 4.0 miles | 341 | Good 2023 | 66 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is West Down School a good school?
West Down School doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it good at its last inspection in October 2019.
What is West Down School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated West Down School good at its last full inspection on 1 October 2019. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are West Down School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 42% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 17% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does West Down School have?
95 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 90% full.
Is West Down School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 20 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at West Down School?
Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at West Down School?
The average class had 20.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
- West Down, Ilfracombe, EX34 8NF
- Telephone
- 01271 863461
- Website
- www.westberryfederation.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Faye Poynter
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Multi-academy trust
- The Harbour Schools Partnership (36 schools)
- Local authority
- Devon
- Ward
- Mortehoe
- Constituency
- North Devon
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2025 (academy converter)
- URN
- 150916 · LAESTAB 8782249 · UKPRN 10095216
- Formerly
- West Down School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Devon council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.