Holywell Church of England School
Tawstock, Barnstaple, EX31 3HZ
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Robinne Lowrey
- Diocese
- Diocese of Exeter
- Sponsor
- Ventrus Limited
- Constituency
- North Devon
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 108
- Pupils on roll
- 86
- URN
- 145767
- Local authority
- Devon
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01271345908
About this school
Holywell Church of England School is a Church of England primary academy in Barnstaple. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 86 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Holywell Church of England 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 8 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 | 12 | 17 | 11 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 58% | 65% | 45% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 83% | 94% | 82% |
| Expected standard in maths | 83% | 82% | 73% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 92% | 76% | 73% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 108.0 | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | +4.00 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.60 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +3.60 | - | - |
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 Holywell Church of England 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 | 58% | 55% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 65% | 54.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 45% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 8.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 89 |
| 2023/24 | 97 |
| 2024/25 | 84 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Holywell Church of England School compares
Holywell Church of England School ranked 223rd of 269 primary schools in Devon for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 16% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 18% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 45% | 7.8% | 21.5% | 86 | — |
| Bishops Tawton Primary School | 54% | 3.7% | 8.2% | 161 | 0.9 miles |
| Sticklepath Community Primary Academy | 60% | 5% | 22.9% | 448 | 1.8 miles |
| Roundswell Community Primary Academy | — | 6.1% | 22.6% | 345 | 1.8 miles |
| Newport Community School Primary Academy | 52% | 5% | 19.5% | 469 | 1.8 miles |
| Ashleigh CofE Primary School | 79% | 7.6% | 42.1% | 205 | 2.2 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)
- 21.52%
- English as an additional language
- 3.6%
- Overall absence
- 7.79%
- Persistent absence
- 19.4%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Bishops Tawton Primary School0.9 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Sticklepath Community Primary Academy1.8 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Roundswell Community Primary Academy1.8 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Newport Community School Primary Academy1.8 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Ashleigh CofE Primary School2.2 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
Other schools in Barnstaple
Holywell Church of England School ranks 16th 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
- Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School Primary
- Kentisbury Primary School Primary
- Landkey Community Primary Academy Primary
- Marwood School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Holywell Church of England School teach?
- Holywell Church of England School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Barnstaple.
- Who is the executive headteacher of Holywell Church of England School?
- The executive headteacher of Holywell Church of England School is Mrs Robinne Lowrey, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Holywell Church of England School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Holywell Church of England 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 Holywell Church of England School?
- Holywell Church of England School has 86 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Holywell Church of England School full?
- Holywell Church of England School has capacity for 108 pupils and 86 on roll (80%), 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 Holywell Church of England School a faith school?
- Yes. Holywell Church of England School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Exeter.
- Does Holywell Church of England School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Holywell Church of England School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Holywell Church of England School part of an academy trust?
- Holywell Church of England School is part of THE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Holywell Church of England School'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 45% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Holywell Church of England School compare with other schools in Devon?
- Holywell Church of England School ranked 223rd of 269 primary schools in Devon for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 16% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 18% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Holywell Church of England School's absence rate?
- Holywell Church of England School's overall absence rate is 7.8% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Holywell Church of England School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Holywell Church of England 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 2 July 2026.