The Topsham School
Orchard Way, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0DN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Community school
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Miss Maria White
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Federation
- The United Schools Federation (USF)
- Constituency
- Exmouth and Exeter East
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 189
- URN
- 131108
- Local authority
- Devon
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01392874498
About this school
The Topsham School is a community primary school in Exeter. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 189 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Topsham School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 10 November 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 26 | 30 | 21 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 46% | 67% | 52% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 12% | 0% | 14% |
| Expected standard in reading | 73% | 80% | 57% |
| Expected standard in maths | 58% | 80% | 67% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 42% | 77% | 62% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 101.0 | 103.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.70 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The Topsham School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Devon average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 46% | 55% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 67% | 54.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 52% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 218 |
| 2023/24 | 221 |
| 2024/25 | 196 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The Topsham School compares
The Topsham School ranked 191st of 269 primary schools in Devon for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 24% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 56% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 52% | 5.1% | 13.3% | 189 | — |
| Trinity CofE Primary and Nursery School | 75% | 4.6% | 13.8% | 464 | 1.1 miles |
| Exminster Community Primary | 76% | 3.9% | 12.5% | 388 | 1.2 miles |
| Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School | 75% | 4.3% | 12.2% | 104 | 1.3 miles |
| Countess Wear Primary School | 31% | 6.4% | 44.6% | 171 | 1.3 miles |
| Clyst St Mary Primary School | 66% | 3.5% | 10.3% | 170 | 1.8 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 13.27%
- English as an additional language
- 2.6%
- Overall absence
- 5.14%
- Persistent absence
- 15.12%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Trinity CofE Primary and Nursery School1.1 miles
Primary · Exeter
-
Exminster Community Primary1.2 miles
Primary · Exeter
-
Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School1.3 miles
Primary · Exeter
-
Countess Wear Primary School1.3 miles
Primary · Exeter
-
Clyst St Mary Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Exeter
Other schools in Exeter
The Topsham School ranks 43rd of the 48 ranked primary schools in Exeter.
- Alphington Primary School Primary
- Bowhill Primary School Primary
- Brampford Speke Church of England Primary School Primary
- Broadclyst Community Primary School Primary
- Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School Primary
- Christow Primary School Primary
- Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary School Primary
- Clyst St Mary Primary School Primary
- Cockwood Primary School Primary
- Countess Wear Primary School Primary
- Doddiscombsleigh Primary School Primary
- Dunsford Community Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Topsham School teach?
- The Topsham School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Exeter.
- Who is the headteacher of The Topsham School?
- The headteacher of The Topsham School is Miss Maria White, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Topsham School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Topsham School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Topsham School?
- The Topsham School has 189 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is The Topsham School full?
- The Topsham School has capacity for 210 pupils and 189 on roll (90%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Topsham School a faith school?
- No. The Topsham School has no designated religious character.
- Does The Topsham School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records The Topsham School as having nursery classes.
- Is The Topsham School part of an academy trust?
- The Topsham School is part of the The United Schools Federation (USF) federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have The Topsham School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 46% in 2022/23 and 52% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does The Topsham School compare with other schools in Devon?
- The Topsham School ranked 191st of 269 primary schools in Devon for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 24% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 56% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is The Topsham School's absence rate?
- The Topsham School's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The Topsham School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Topsham School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.