St Mary's CofE Primary School
Chanters Road, Bideford, EX39 2QN
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- THE HARBOUR SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP
- Headteacher
- Zoe Stevens
- Diocese
- Diocese of Exeter
- Sponsor
- Ventrus Limited
- Constituency
- Torridge and Tavistock
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 397
- URN
- 151055
- Local authority
- Devon
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01237477288
About this school
St Mary's CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Bideford. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 397 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. 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 29 March 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.
This inspection took place when the school was registered as St Mary's Church of England Primary School (URN 113385).
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 58 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 57% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 2% |
| Expected standard in reading | 74% |
| Expected standard in maths | 86% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 69% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 |
How St Mary's CofE Primary School compares
St Mary's CofE Primary School ranked 163rd of 269 primary schools in Devon for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 34% 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 | 57% | 5.1% | 16.3% | 397 | — |
| West Croft School | 38% | 6.5% | 42.8% | 417 | 0.9 miles |
| East-the-Water Community Primary School | 69% | 4.7% | 42.4% | 439 | 1.0 miles |
| St Margaret's Church of England Junior School | 46% | 6.9% | 23.4% | 184 | 1.3 miles |
| St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School | — | 5.3% | 17.8% | 110 | 1.4 miles |
| Appledore School | 79% | 4.3% | 17.2% | 244 | 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)
- 16.33%
- English as an additional language
- 1.3%
- Overall absence
- 5.1%
- Persistent absence
- 11.34%
Location
Nearby schools
-
West Croft School0.9 miles
Primary · Bideford
-
East-the-Water Community Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Bideford
-
St Margaret's Church of England Junior School1.3 miles
Primary · Bideford
-
St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School1.4 miles
Primary · Bideford
-
Appledore School1.8 miles
Primary · Bideford
Other schools in Bideford
St Mary's CofE Primary School ranks 6th of the 12 ranked primary schools in Bideford.
- Appledore School Primary
- Buckland Brewer Primary School Primary
- East-the-Water Community Primary School Primary
- Hartland Primary School Primary
- Instow Community Primary and Pre-School Primary
- Monkleigh Primary School Primary
- Parkham Primary School Primary
- St George's CofE Infant and Nursery School Primary
- St Helen's Church of England School Primary
- St Margaret's Church of England Junior School Primary
- West Croft School Primary
- Woolsery Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does St Mary's CofE Primary School teach?
- St Mary's CofE Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bideford.
- Who is the headteacher of St Mary's CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of St Mary's CofE Primary School is Zoe Stevens, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St Mary's CofE Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Mary's CofE 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 St Mary's CofE Primary School?
- St Mary's CofE Primary School has 397 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is St Mary's CofE Primary School full?
- St Mary's CofE Primary School has capacity for 420 pupils and 397 on roll (95%), 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 St Mary's CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. St Mary's CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Exeter.
- Does St Mary's CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Mary's CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs St Mary's CofE Primary School?
- St Mary's CofE 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 does St Mary's CofE Primary School rank locally?
- St Mary's CofE Primary School ranked 163rd of 269 primary schools in Devon for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 34% 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 St Mary's CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- St Mary's CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census.
- What are St Mary's CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Mary's CofE 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.