Plymstock School

Plymstock School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating in all areas of the inspection. Most pupils exhibit enthusiasm for learning and are encouraged to excel, supported by a well-structured curriculum that builds on their prior knowledge. The school fosters leadership skills among pupils through a variety of mentoring roles, enabling them to take responsibility within the school community. Pupils enjoy the educational opportunities available, including diverse extracurricular activities and pathways for their future careers.

Strengths

• Students demonstrate strong leadership skills through peer mentoring.
• The curriculum is well-structured and builds on prior knowledge.
• Pupils receive effective careers guidance and work experience opportunities.
• The teaching of reading is prioritized across subjects.
• Most staff feel well supported and take pride in working at the school.

Areas for Improvement

• A minority of pupils do not behave well and disrupt learning.
• The PSHE curriculum is not well planned or consistently delivered.

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 Plymstock School attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.0% 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, 5.4% of pupils at Plymstock School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Plymstock School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 11.7% of pupils at Plymstock School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Plymstock School received £7,807 and spent £7,660 for each of its 1,609 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,926,000 (£1,197 per pupil).

Across all 31 schools of Westcountry Schools Trust, income was £7,571 and spending £7,467 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Plymouth · Plymouth local authority: places and applications

Plymstock School is part of Westcountry Schools Trust, which runs 31 schools. The nearest others:

• Morley Meadow Primary School Plymouth
• Coombe Dean School Plymouth
• Oreston Community Academy Plymouth
• Sherford Vale School & Nursery Sherford
• Plympton St Maurice Primary School Plymouth
• Woodford Primary School Plymouth
• Hele's School Plymouth
• Austin Farm Academy Plymouth
• Wembury Primary School Plymouth
• Boringdon Primary School Plymouth

What is Plymstock School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Plymstock School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Plymstock School last inspected by Ofsted?

Plymstock School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Plymstock School have?

Plymstock School has 1,515 pupils on roll.

What age range does Plymstock School cover?

Plymstock School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Plymstock School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.0, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Plymstock School?

Plymstock School is at Church Road, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 9AZ.