Upton St James CofE Primary School
Torquay, TQ1 4AZ · Torbay · primary school
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30th of 30 primary schools in Torbay we can score, 31 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 0.6/10 against 1,414 of them, against 0.7/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard (RWM) 2024/25 | 36.0 · 6 | 62% | 0.34 |
| Higher standard (RWM) 2024/25 | 0.0 · 10 | 38% | 0.40 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Upton St James CofE Primary School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 36.0% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared to the national median of 64%. The higher standard was reached by 0.0% of pupils, against a national median of 7%. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.6 out of 10 against similar schools, 0.7 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils participate in opera and hand pans, attend a residential trip to East Shallowford Farm, and engage with Torbay Children's Parliament. Both breakfast and after-school clubs are available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 94 pupils against a stated capacity of 105. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to progress from the expected standard to the higher standard? What specific support is offered during the residential trip to East Shallowford Farm? How do the breakfast and after-school clubs integrate with the main curriculum?
What Ofsted said about Upton St James CofE Primary School
Overview
The report states that the ‘quality of education’ and ‘leadership and management’ require improvement, while ‘behaviour and attitudes’, ‘personal development’, and ‘early years provision’ are good. Inspectors found that although pupils enjoy school and behave well, some learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have gaps in their knowledge because the curriculum is not yet well established.
Strengths
- Pupils are ‘kind, helpful and friendly’ with ‘strong, trusting relationships with staff’, resulting in increased attendance.
- The ‘early reading programme is well designed’, enabling children in Reception and key stage 1 to become ‘confident, fluent readers’.
- Children in Reception ‘thrive through a well-structured curriculum’ and develop a ‘strong curiosity to learn’.
- Pupils are ‘well informed about citizenship in modern Britain’ and value roles such as school councillor.
- Staff are ‘overwhelmingly positive about the support provided for their well-being and workload’.
Areas to improve
- Assessment is not used with ‘sufficient precision’, meaning gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not addressed effectively.
- Staff do not routinely adapt teaching for pupils with SEND, leaving them without ‘secure knowledge with which to access more complex learning’.
- Some pupils in key stage 2 are not supported well to develop writing skills, particularly regarding ‘sentence structure and punctuation’.
Safeguarding
The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.
Results over time
Expected standard (reading, writing, maths), the years we hold.
| Year | Expected standard (reading, writing, maths) |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 33% |
| 2023/24 | 20% |
| 2024/25 | 36% |
| England | 64% |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 14,326 state schools in England we hold a 2024/25 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2027
- Primary National Offer Day16 Apr 2027
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2028
- Primary National Offer Day17 Apr 2028
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