North Molton Primary School
Fore Street, North Molton, South Molton, EX36 3HL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- THE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Pennington
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Sponsor
- Ventrus Limited
- Constituency
- North Devon
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 124
- URN
- 148020
- Local authority
- Devon
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01598740343
About this school
North Molton Primary School is a primary academy in South Molton. It teaches children aged 2 to 11 and has 124 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
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 6 July 2023, 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 | 18 | 10 | 23 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 39% | 50% | 65% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 20% | 4% |
| Expected standard in reading | 72% | 80% | 83% |
| Expected standard in maths | 78% | 60% | 78% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 50% | 70% | 65% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 111.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +1.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -5.10 | - | - |
| 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 North Molton Primary 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 | 39% | 55% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 50% | 54.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 65% | 57.9% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.3% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 128 |
| 2023/24 | 119 |
| 2024/25 | 128 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How North Molton Primary School compares
North Molton Primary School ranked 119th of 269 primary schools in Devon for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 33% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 65% | 6.4% | 24.8% | 124 | — |
| South Molton Community Primary School | — | — | — | 242 | 2.6 miles |
| South Molton United CofE Primary School | 52% | 6% | 26.8% | 222 | 3.1 miles |
| Bishops Nympton Primary School | 40% | 5.5% | 12.8% | 80 | 3.9 miles |
| Brayford Academy | — | 7.6% | 14.8% | 32 | 4.2 miles |
| Filleigh Community Primary School | 20% | 6.5% | 28.6% | 61 | 4.3 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)
- 24.75%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 6.36%
- Persistent absence
- 16.67%
Location
Nearby schools
-
South Molton Community Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · South Molton
-
South Molton United CofE Primary School3.1 miles
Primary · South Molton
-
Bishops Nympton Primary School3.9 miles
Primary · South Molton
-
Brayford Academy4.2 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
-
Filleigh Community Primary School4.3 miles
Primary · Barnstaple
Other schools in South Molton
- Bishops Nympton Primary School Primary
- South Molton Community Primary School Primary
- South Molton United CofE Primary School Primary
- South Molton Community College Secondary
- Blackford Education (Schools) Ltd t/a the Libra School Special schools
Common questions
- What year groups does North Molton Primary School teach?
- North Molton Primary School teaches children aged 2 to 11. It is a primary school in South Molton.
- Who is the headteacher of North Molton Primary School?
- The headteacher of North Molton Primary School is Mr Matthew Pennington, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was North Molton Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected North Molton Primary 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 North Molton Primary School?
- North Molton Primary School has 124 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 2 to 11.
- Is North Molton Primary School full?
- North Molton Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 124 on roll (118%), 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 North Molton Primary School a faith school?
- No. North Molton Primary School has no designated religious character.
- Does North Molton Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records North Molton Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs North Molton Primary School?
- North Molton Primary 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 North Molton Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 39% in 2022/23 and 65% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does North Molton Primary School rank locally?
- North Molton Primary School ranked 119th of 269 primary schools in Devon for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 53% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 33% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is North Molton Primary School's absence rate?
- North Molton Primary School's overall absence rate is 6.4% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are North Molton Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, North Molton Primary 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 10 July 2026.