Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy
Abbey Road, Barnstaple, EX31 1JU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 7 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- TEAM MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Daniel Polak
- Diocese
- Diocese of Exeter
- Constituency
- North Devon
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 264
- Pupils on roll
- 261
- URN
- 138315
- Local authority
- Devon
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01271345952
About this school
Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Barnstaple. It teaches children aged 7 to 11 and has 261 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy, 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
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 66 | 65 | 65 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 58% | 66% | 63% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 9% | 8% | 6% |
| Expected standard in reading | 73% | 78% | 77% |
| Expected standard in maths | 73% | 78% | 71% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 70% | 78% | 72% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.60 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.90 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.10 | - | - |
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 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy 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 | 58% | 55% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 66% | 54.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 63% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 259 |
| 2023/24 | 250 |
| 2024/25 | 255 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy compares
Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy ranked 127th of 269 primary schools in Devon for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 47% 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 | 63% | 5.1% | 19.6% | 261 | — |
| Pilton Infants' Academy | — | 6.1% | 18.6% | 172 | 0.1 miles |
| Yeo Valley Primary School | 43% | 6.7% | 48.5% | 193 | 0.5 miles |
| Ashleigh CofE Primary School | 79% | 7.6% | 42.1% | 205 | 0.8 miles |
| Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple | 50% | 5% | 32.8% | 214 | 0.8 miles |
| Sticklepath Community Primary Academy | 60% | 5% | 22.9% | 448 | 1.2 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)
- 19.61%
- English as an additional language
- 7.8%
- Overall absence
- 5.1%
- Persistent absence
- 11.61%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Pilton Infants' Academy0.1 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Yeo Valley Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Ashleigh CofE Primary School0.8 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple0.8 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Sticklepath Community Primary Academy1.2 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
Other schools in Barnstaple
Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy ranks 6th of the 20 ranked primary schools in Barnstaple.
- Ashleigh CofE Primary School Primary
- Bishops Tawton Primary School Primary
- Bratton Fleming Community Primary School Primary
- Brayford Academy Primary
- Eden Park Academy Primary
- Filleigh Community Primary School Primary
- Fremington Primary School Primary
- Goodleigh Church of England Primary School Primary
- Holywell Church of England School Primary
- Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School Primary
- Kentisbury Primary School Primary
- Landkey Community Primary Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy teach?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy teaches children aged 7 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnstaple.
- Who is the headteacher of Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy?
- The headteacher of Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is Mr Daniel Polak, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy, 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 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy has 261 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 7 to 11.
- Is Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy full?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy has capacity for 264 pupils and 261 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Exeter.
- Does Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy part of an academy trust?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy is part of TEAM MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 58% in 2022/23 and 63% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy compare with other schools in Devon?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy ranked 127th of 269 primary schools in Devon for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 47% 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 Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's absence rate?
- Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy'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 1 July 2026.