Plympton Academy
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-18 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Moorland Road Plympton Plymouth Devon PL7 2RS |
| Phone | 03333602220 |
| Reference Number | 136556 |
Plympton Academy is currently identified as requiring improvement in several key areas, including the overall quality of education and leadership and management. While most pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and the school has successfully fostered a calm and orderly atmosphere, significant concerns remain about the academic achievement levels, particularly in the sixth form. The school has raised expectations and made curriculum improvements; however, many students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not achieve the necessary depth in their understanding of subjects. The leadership team, while dedicated to improvement, reflects a clear need for continued development in instructional practices to effectively check and address student learning gaps. Despite these challenges, the school excels in promoting positive behavioural attitudes, offering a wide range of extracurricular activities, and ensuring that safeguarding practices are effective. Additionally, the school's commitment to equality and diversity is commendable, and the engagement with parents has been strengthened. However, addressing issues around reading support and inconsistent attendance remains a priority for the school to truly ensure every student can succeed.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1078 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.37%
Girls: 49.63% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 21.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 2.6% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 24.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 79 | 75 | 154 |
| 8 | 107 | 97 | 204 |
| 9 | 84 | 116 | 200 |
| 10 | 120 | 77 | 197 |
| 11 | 88 | 106 | 194 |
| 12 | 43 | 36 | 79 |
| 13 | 22 | 28 | 50 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 94.2% |
| White, Other | 1.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.6% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.5% |
| African | 0.5% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| Unclassified | 0.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.3% |
| Pakistani | 0.3% |
| Caribbean | 0.2% |
| Asian, Other | 0.1% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Requires Improvement |
| > Quality of education | Requires Improvement |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Requires Improvement |
| > Sixth Form Provision | Requires Improvement |
| Last Report Date | 19 Mar 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 25 Feb 2025 | Monitoring visit |
| 19 Mar 2024 | School inspection: |
| 10 Mar 2020 | School inspection: |
| 13 Jan 2016 | Full inspection: |
| 24 Apr 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 14 May 2012 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 14 Feb 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 09 Mar 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| Previously as Ridgeway School | |
| 09 Mar 2011 | Monitoring visit |
| 07 Oct 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 07 Oct 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 03 Feb 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 03 Feb 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 09 Oct 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Oct 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 26 Feb 2001 | Full inspection |
| 26 Feb 2001 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Most pupils enjoy their learning and have positive attitudes towards school.
- The school promotes equality and diversity effectively.
- Pupils participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities.
- There is an effective personal, social and health education programme.
- Pupils receive useful careers education and guidance.
- The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not achieve well enough in many subjects.
- Teaching does not effectively check pupils' understanding.
- Support for struggling readers is inadequate.
- Attendance rates for some pupils are persistently low.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 43.1 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 43.8% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 57.7% |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockPoints
| Points | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Points | 28.69 | ||
| Average Points (best 3) | 32.12 |
Grades
| School | Local | Nationwide | |
| Average Grade | C | C+ | C+ |
| Average Grade (best 3) | C+ | C+ | C+ |
| Percentage | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students getting AAB or better | 0% |
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 111 | 5 |
| Third Preference | 38 | 2 |
| From another Local Authority | 16 | 4 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Old Priory Junior Academy
Ridgeway, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1QN |
0.26 miles |
|
Plympton St Mary's CofE Infant School
8 Market Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1QW |
0.4 miles |
|
Boringdon Primary School
Courtland Crescent, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 4HJ |
0.59 miles |
|
Plympton St Maurice Primary School
Plympton Hill, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1UB |
0.6 miles |
|
Chaddlewood Primary School
Hemerdon Heights, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 2EU |
0.63 miles |
|
Glen Park Primary School
Glen Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 2DE |
0.8 miles |
|
Yealmpstone Farm Primary School
Meadowfield Place, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1XQ |
0.97 miles |
|
Woodford Primary School
Litchaton Way, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 4RR |
1.09 miles |
|
Sherford Vale School & Nursery
Hercules Road, Gb, Sherford, PL9 8FA |
1.6 miles |
|
Elburton Primary School
Haye Road South, Elburton, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 8HJ |
2.09 miles |
|
Leigham Primary School
Cockington Close, Leigham, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8RF |
2.29 miles |
|
Morley Meadow Primary School
51 Encombe Street, Plymouth, PL9 7GN |
2.34 miles |
|
Pomphlett Primary School
Howard Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 7ES |
2.4 miles |
|
Sparkwell All Saints Primary School
Sparkwell, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 5DD |
2.41 miles |
|
Austin Farm Academy
Delamere Road, Eggbuckland, Austin Farm Academy, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5XQ |
2.48 miles |
|
Laira Green Primary School
Bramley Road, Laira, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 6BP |
2.53 miles |
|
High View School
2 Torridge Way, Efford, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 6JQ |
2.55 miles |
|
Tor Bridge Primary School
Eden Valley Gardens, Estover, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8EE |
2.67 miles |
|
Plym Bridge Nursery School and Day Care
Miller Way, Plymouth, PL6 8UN |
2.68 miles |
|
Goosewell Primary Academy
Goosewell Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 9HD |
2.7 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Longcause Community Special School
Longcause, Plympton St Maurice, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 1JB |
0.43 miles |
|
Hele's School
Seymour Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon, PL7 4LT |
0.69 miles |
|
Plymstock School
Church Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 9AZ |
2.43 miles |
|
Coombe Dean School
Charnhill Way, Elburton, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 8ES |
2.61 miles |
|
Tor Bridge High
Miller Way, Estover, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8UN |
2.68 miles |
|
Cann Bridge School
23 Eden Valley Gardens, Estover, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8EE |
2.7 miles |
|
Lipson Co-operative Academy
Bernice Terrace, Lipson, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PG |
3.03 miles |
|
Eggbuckland Community College
Westcott Close, Eggbuckland, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5YB |
3.28 miles |
|
Plymouth High School for Girls
St Lawrence Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 6HT |
3.8 miles |
|
Plymouth College
|
3.81 miles |
|
St Boniface's RC College
21 Boniface Lane, Crownhill, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 3AG |
3.92 miles |
|
Notre Dame RC School
Looseleigh Lane, Derriford, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5HN |
4.06 miles |
|
Devonport High School for Girls
Lyndhurst Road, Peverell, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3DL |
4.44 miles |
|
Woodlands School
Woodview Learning Community, Picklecombe Drive, Off Tamerton Foliot Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5ES |
4.49 miles |
|
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Lancaster Gardens, Whitleigh, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 4AA |
4.62 miles |
|
Millbay Academy
22 Millbay Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 3EG |
4.7 miles |
|
Chapel Bridge School
99 Craigie Drive, Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 3JL |
4.77 miles |
|
All Saints Church of England Academy
Pennycross, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 3NE |
4.77 miles |
|
Stoke Damerel Community College
Somerset Place, Stoke, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 4BD |
4.78 miles |
|
Scott Medical and Healthcare College
Somerset Place, Stoke, Plymouth, Devon, PL3 4BD |
4.78 miles |