Elburton Primary School

Elburton Primary School is a highly effective primary school where pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, flourish. The November 2024 inspection found exceptionally strong provision across the curriculum, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years. Pupils achieve consistently above national averages in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics, and reading is at the heart of the school’s work from pre-school onwards. The school has a strong character-development focus, and pupils show impressive citizenship, empathy and respect. The inspection was the school’s first since January 2014, having previously been exempt from routine inspection because of its outstanding judgement. It is part of Learning Academies Trust and has a pre-school for children from age two. Inspectors found no areas of concern: safeguarding is effective, attendance is very strong, behaviour is exemplary, and leadership and governance are exceptional. Staff and parents are highly positive about the school. Under the current inspection framework, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded.

Strengths

• Expertly planned curriculum enables pupils to build knowledge progressively and achieve very well.
• Pupils achieve consistently above national averages in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics.
• Reading is central to the curriculum and is taught with expertise from pre-school onwards.
• Pupils with SEND receive exceptional support and learn without barriers.
• Early years provision develops children socially, emotionally and imaginatively very well.
• Pupils’ oracy and communication skills are prioritised and developed strongly.
• Personal development is exceptional, with pupils showing strong citizenship, empathy and respect.
• Pupils benefit from a broad range of enrichment, leadership and health-related opportunities.
• Attendance is very strong and pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.
• Leadership, governance and trust support are exceptional, and staff are proud to work at the school.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Elburton Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.0% of pupils at Elburton Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Elburton Primary School had 25.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 7.9% of pupils at Elburton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Elburton Primary School received £6,269 and spent £6,086 for each of its 449 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £439,000 (£978 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Learning Academies Trust, income was £7,222 and spending £6,990 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

Elburton Primary School is part of Learning Academies Trust, which runs 18 schools. The nearest others:

• Pomphlett Primary School Plymouth
• Hooe Primary Academy Plymouth
• Prince Rock Primary School Plymouth
• High View School Plymouth
• Salisbury Road Primary School Plymouth
• Mount Street Primary School Plymouth
• Hyde Park Infants' School Plymouth
• Hyde Park Junior School Plymouth
• Ford Primary School Plymouth
• Mount Wise Community Primary School Plymouth

What is Elburton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elburton Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Elburton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Elburton Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Elburton Primary School have?

Elburton Primary School has 470 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elburton Primary School cover?

Elburton Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Elburton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Elburton Primary School?

Elburton Primary School is at Haye Road South, Elburton, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 8HJ.