Photo: Ruth Sharville · CC BY-SA 2.0Ivybridge’s state schools are in the top tenth: better results than 94% of towns in England
A strong pass in English and maths, grade 5 or better, went to 66% of Ivybridge’s pupils, above both Devon’s towns (46%) and towns in England (45%). Ivybridge grades A for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #1 of 47 in Devon. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Ivybridge’s schools
Strong at both ages
Ivybridge’s secondary results beat 94% of English towns; its primary results beat 87%. 70% of the town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 57% across Devon. Every school’s result ↓
One trust runs much of it
4 of Ivybridge’s 5 state schools belong to 1 academy trust. Westcountry Schools Trust runs 4 of them, including Ivybridge Community College: 2,262 of the 2,262 secondary pupils. Who runs them ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
Ivybridge grades A for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
The primary figure: 4 primaries in the town, 501 pupils in results over three years. Ivybridge has 1 secondary of its own with GCSE results, too few to judge on, so the secondary figure uses the 1 graded secondary in and within 3 km of the town (381 pupils in results). Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Where Ivybridge’s 5 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Ivybridge’s built-up area.
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table.
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 9% at Stowford School to 23% at Manor Primary School, Ivybridge. Against schools with the same intake, Stowford School does best: 85% with 9% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 66%. 2 of 4 primaries are above the line.
Show as a table
| School | Free school meals | Result | Typical for that intake | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stowford SchoolKS2 % | 9% | 85% | 66% | +19 |
| Woodlands Park Primary SchoolKS2 % | 14% | 69% | 65% | +4 |
| Manor Primary School, IvybridgeKS2 % | 23% | 62% | 62% | −0 |
| The Erme Primary SchoolKS2 % | 18% | 27% | 64% | −37 |
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
How school places work in Ivybridge
Devon County Council handles applications for every state school in Ivybridge, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 1 school is at or over it.
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
5 state schools in Ivybridge
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 1 of Ivybridge’s 5 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
| School | Safeguarding | Achievement | Curriculum and teaching | Inclusion | Attendance and behaviour | Personal development and well-being | Leadership and governance | Early years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Erme Primary SchoolMarch 2026 | Met | Needs attention | Needs attention | Expected standard | Needs attention | Expected standard | Needs attention | Needs attention |
1 academy trust and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westcountry Schools TrustIvybridge Community College, Stowford, Woodlands Park, Manor School, Ivybridge | 4 | 3,226 | AA+B+B− |
| Devon County CouncilThe Erme | 1 | 101 | D− |
Where Ivybridge’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
The state secondary in Ivybridge has its own sixth form. The nearest college is City College Plymouth, a further-education college 10.9 miles away.
17th of 341 English towns of 9,000 to 17,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Ivybridge, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chorleywood Hertfordshire | A+ | 79% | 59.8 | 71% |
| … | |||||
| 13 | Lymm Cheshire | A | 73% | 53.5 | 60% |
| 14 | Egglescliffe County Durham | A | 84% | 50.3 | 59% |
| 15 | Leatherhead Surrey | A | 69% | 58.2 | 73% |
| 16 | Poynton Cheshire | A | 72% | 54 | 60% |
| 17 | Ivybridge Devon | A | 70% | 54.6 | 66% |
| 18 | Southborough Kent | A | 68% | 61.4 | 74% |
| 19 | Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire | A | 67% | 60.2 | 74% |
| 20 | Marlow Buckinghamshire | A | 68% | 59.7 | 68% |
| 21 | Wetherby West Yorkshire | A | 70% | 52.9 | 61% |
| … | |||||
| 341 | Sandown Isle of Wight | D− | 52% | 32 | 16% |
Ivybridge and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivybridge 5 schools | A | 70% | 54.6 |
| Modbury 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.2 mi | A+ | 76% | — |
| Yealmpton 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.7 mi | A− | 66% | — |
| South Brent 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 4.7 mi | D− | 42% | — |
| Sherford 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 6 mi | A | 72% | 49.4 |
| Loddiswell 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 7.1 mi | B | 63% | — |
| Wembury 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 8 mi | B+ | 67% | 46.6 |
| Buckfastleigh 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 8.7 mi | C | 58% | — |
Modbury has the best-graded schools nearby (A+). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Ivybridge: 10% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Ivybridge
Are schools in Ivybridge good?
Ivybridge’s state schools earn an A against schools across England: primary results beat 87% of towns in England; secondary results beat 94% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Devon council.
What is the best primary school in Ivybridge?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Stowford School: 85% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Ivybridge secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, it has one.
How do I apply for a school place in Ivybridge?
Through Devon County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Ivybridge are full?
1 of 5 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Ivybridge?
5 open state-funded schools are located in Ivybridge’s built-up area: 4 primary, 1 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.