West Down School

School overview

West Down School is a primary school serving Ilfracombe, Devon, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 99 pupils aged 2 to 11 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated West Down School 'Good'. In the most recent Key Stage 2 SATs, 42% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the national average of 61%. That is down 8.0 percentage points in the proportion reaching the expected standard on the previous year, though small year groups can make these figures swing sharply from year to year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the lower half of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 107 in reading and 108 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 17% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). West Down School was not oversubscribed for September 2026: all 10 families who put it first were offered a place. When you visit, you might ask how the school stretches its higher-attaining pupils and supports those who need to catch up. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.