Plumstead Manor School

Plumstead Manor School is a large, welcoming secondary school with a calm and respectful culture. Inspectors found safeguarding standards met and judged attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision to be at the expected standard. Leaders have been highly effective in improving school culture, behaviour and attendance, and pupils feel safe and supported. Inclusion is a notable strength, including support for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and the school's resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties. The school has above-average proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with SEND. The main areas needing attention are achievement and curriculum and teaching. Outcomes have historically been below national averages, particularly at key stage 4, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are not as well prepared for their next steps as they should be. Although leaders have introduced strategies to improve achievement, these are not yet fully embedded, and teaching quality varies across year groups and subjects. Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding, adapt learning to meet individual needs or address gaps in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has a clear sense of direction, with leaders now focused on improving curriculum, teaching and achievement. Post-16 provision is a strength, with students achieving well and progressing to positive destinations. However, the school still needs to make teaching consistently strong so that all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.

Strengths

• Calm, respectful school culture with clear routines and positive pupil behaviour.
• Attendance is improving and close to national averages, with tailored support for pupils who struggle to attend.
• Strong inclusion and support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, including resourced provision and nurture spaces.
• Leaders are decisive, ambitious and effective in improving culture, behaviour and attendance.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge and meet statutory duties.
• Well-designed personal development programme covering relationships, safety and mental health.
• Effective pastoral care and safeguarding systems keep pupils safe and support wellbeing.
• Well-planned careers programme and post-16 provision support positive destinations.
• Post-16 students achieve well, behave well, attend regularly and act as positive role models.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement has historically been below national averages, particularly at key stage 4.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should, and progress gaps remain.
• Teaching quality is inconsistent across year groups and subjects.
• Teachers do not consistently check understanding or adapt learning to meet pupils' needs.
• Gaps in pupils' reading, writing and mathematics are not routinely identified and addressed.
• Pupils' spelling, handwriting and presentation remain inconsistent.
• Not all pupils take up enrichment opportunities, and participation tracking needs improvement.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Plumstead Manor School attended 89.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.2% of pupils at Plumstead Manor School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Plumstead Manor School had 14.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.0% of pupils at Plumstead Manor School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 23 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Plumstead Manor School received £12,105 and spent £12,284 for each of its 1,418 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,563,000 (£1,808 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Plumstead Manor School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Plumstead Manor School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Plumstead Manor School last inspected by Ofsted?

Plumstead Manor School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Plumstead Manor School have?

Plumstead Manor School has 1,413 pupils on roll.

What age range does Plumstead Manor School cover?

Plumstead Manor School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Plumstead Manor School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.0, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Plumstead Manor School?

Plumstead Manor School is at Old Mill Road, London, SE18 1QF.