St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is performing reasonably well but has several areas requiring improvement. The school boasts an inclusive ethos, effectively accommodating disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The early years are particularly strong, with children receiving high-quality support, enabling them to develop essential skills. However, inconsistencies in teaching practices have led to uneven progress among some pupils across different subjects. Leaders recognize the need for a more cohesive approach to ensure all students receive the necessary support to succeed.

Strengths

• Strong inclusive ethos supporting disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Early years education is of high quality, fostering confident learners.
• Effective personal development and well-being programs enhancing pupils' growth.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of extracurricular activities that enrich their education.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in teaching leading to uneven progress for some pupils.
• Behaviour expectations not consistently applied, resulting in low-level disruption.
• Leaders have not adequately identified and addressed teaching inconsistencies.

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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.5% 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast had 19.5 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, 20.8% of pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.1% 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 St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast received £7,595 and spent £7,881 for each of its 163 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £71,000 (-£437 per pupil).

Across all 34 schools of Plymouth Cast, income was £8,158 and spending £8,000 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 Teignbridge · Devon local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast is part of Plymouth Cast, which runs 34 schools. The nearest others:

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Newton Abbot
• Sacred Heart Catholic School Paignton
• Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Primary School Torquay
• Priory Roman Catholic Primary School, Torquay Torquay
• Our Lady and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School Teignmouth
• St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary School, Dartmouth Dartmouth
• St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School Brixham
• Notre Dame RC School Plymouth
• St Boniface's RC College Plymouth
• St Peter's RC Primary School Plymouth

What is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast have?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast has 168 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast cover?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast?

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Buckfast is at Buckfast Road, Buckfast, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0EA.