Old Cleeve Church of England First School
Huish Lane, Washford, TA23 0PB
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- BEACON EDUCATION MAT LTD
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emma Murch
- Diocese
- Diocese of Bath and Wells
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- West Somerset Academies Trust
- Constituency
- Tiverton and Minehead
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 90
- Pupils on roll
- 127
- URN
- 140636
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01984640232
About this school
Old Cleeve Church of England First School is a Church of England primary academy in Washford. It teaches children aged 3 to 9 and has 127 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit 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
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Old Cleeve Church of England First 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 110 |
| 2023/24 | 111 |
| 2024/25 | 126 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Old Cleeve Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 38% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 6% | 18.6% | 127 | — |
| St Peter's Church of England First School | — | 6.7% | 37.4% | 123 | 1.9 miles |
| Knights Templar Community Church School & Nursery | — | 6.3% | 24.2% | 173 | 2.0 miles |
| Dunster First School | — | 7.8% | 18.5% | 86 | 3.9 miles |
| Stogumber CofE Primary School | 86% | 3.6% | 20.9% | 41 | 4.1 miles |
| Minehead First School | — | 6.3% | 20.6% | 286 | 5.7 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)
- 18.56%
- English as an additional language
- 0.8%
- Overall absence
- 6.01%
- Persistent absence
- 13.41%
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Peter's Church of England First School1.9 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Knights Templar Community Church School & Nursery2.0 miles
Primary · Watchet
-
Dunster First School3.9 miles
Primary · Minehead
-
Stogumber CofE Primary School4.1 miles
Primary · Taunton
-
Minehead First School5.7 miles
Primary · Minehead
Common questions
- What year groups does Old Cleeve Church of England First School teach?
- Old Cleeve Church of England First School teaches children aged 3 to 9. It is a primary school in Washford.
- Who is the headteacher of Old Cleeve Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of Old Cleeve Church of England First School is Mrs Emma Murch, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Old Cleeve Church of England First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Old Cleeve Church of England First 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 big is Old Cleeve Church of England First School?
- Old Cleeve Church of England First School has 127 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 9.
- Is Old Cleeve Church of England First School full?
- Old Cleeve Church of England First School has capacity for 90 pupils and 127 on roll (141%), so it is at or above 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 Old Cleeve Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Old Cleeve Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.
- Does Old Cleeve Church of England First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Old Cleeve Church of England First School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Old Cleeve Church of England First School?
- Old Cleeve Church of England First School is part of BEACON EDUCATION MAT LTD. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Old Cleeve Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Old Cleeve Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Old Cleeve Church of England First School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Old Cleeve Church of England First School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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.