Hawkchurch Church of England School
Hawkchurch, Axminster, EX13 5XDOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Hawkchurch Church of England School is a primary school in Axminster for ages 2 to 11. It is one of the 416 schools in Devon. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 4 March 2025, report published 1 April 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 4 March 2025
'A small school with a big heart' captures the essence of what it means to be a pupil at Hawkchurch Church of England School. The school welcomes and nurtures the individuality of its pupils. This is apparent in the ambitious education that pupils receive and the high expectations of what they can achieve. The day-to-day provision is flexible to ensure that pupils' learning is maximised. This approach is critical in the school's work to identify and reduce barriers to learning that pupils may have. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Staff's detailed knowledge of pupils ensures that pupils are successful in meeting the school's high expectations of their academic, social or emotional learning. Pupils are happy at the school and get along well. They support and encourage each other in class and on the playground because they see this modelled by staff. Pupils are aware that, at times, their peers can struggle with their emotions and behaviour and this can disturb learning. However, pupils show a strong awareness of why their friends might struggle. They trust that staff address this and work to support pupils to develop strategies to help them manage their behaviours.
What the school should improve
- The provision for some pupils with SEND is not as precise and targeted as it could be. This means that pupils with SEND, although getting the pastoral, social and emotional development that they need, are not as successful academically as they could be. The school should ensure that it brings together and builds on the SEND knowledge and expertise it currently has, to adapt pupils' learning and make the most impact on the learning and development of pupils with SEND.
- The design of some learning tasks are not as effective as they could be to consolidate knowledge and secure new learning. This hampers pupil's learning and their ability to develop a deep understanding. The school should ensure that it carefully considers the way in which learning activities are designed and delivered, so that pupils secure new learning with greater success and remember the most important knowledge and skills.
Pupil numbers and mix
43 pupils on roll, with places for 56
Schools near Hawkchurch Church of England School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshwood CofE Primary Academy | 2 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 38% met the expected standard |
| All Saints Church of England Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 60% met the expected standard |
| Thorncombe, St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Not published |
| Axminster Community Primary Academy | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 52% met the expected standard |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Axminster | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 21% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Andrew Keay
- Phone
- 01297678331
- Address
- Hawkchurch, Axminster, EX13 5XD
- Local authority
- Devon
- URN
- 143187
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.