Oakwood Primary Academy

Oakwood Primary Academy is a school in transition. After a period of instability and declining standards, and much lower than national outcomes in 2023 and 2024, the Discovery Multi Academy Trust took decisive action and installed a new leadership team. Staff morale is now high, the school is stable, and leaders have created an ambitious vision; pupils are safe and most enjoy school. This was the school's first routine inspection since the pandemic and it remains part of a multi-academy trust. Inspectors found that the new curriculum is ambitious and coherent from early years to Year 6, and pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, clubs and pupil leadership roles. However, it is too early to see the impact of curriculum changes. Assessment is not precise enough, some pupils have gaps in knowledge, and pupils with SEND do not always have work adapted well to their needs. Early reading and phonics are not implemented consistently, and some books do not match pupils' phonics knowledge. Behaviour is not consistently good: some staff have low expectations, low-level disruption occurs, and pupils report difficulties at social times including disrespectful language. Attendance is stubbornly low, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils also have limited opportunities to engage with the wider community and are not secure in their understanding of diversity and British society. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• New leadership has created an ambitious vision and raised staff morale.
• The school is stable and staff are determined to secure further improvement.
• The curriculum is ambitious and coherently sequenced from early years to Year 6.
• Pupils are safe and most enjoy school.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, camps and extra-curricular clubs.
• Pupils can contribute to school life through roles such as happy mind leader and well-being champion.
• Older pupils enjoy reading and speak passionately about books.
• Recent library changes have made books more accessible and improved the range on offer.
• Staff support pupils effectively when they struggle to regulate their behaviour.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Outcomes were much lower than the national average in several areas in 2023 and 2024.
• It is too early to see the impact of the new curriculum on pupils' knowledge and outcomes.
• Assessment and checks on what pupils know and remember are not precise enough, leaving gaps in knowledge.
• Curriculum adaptations for pupils with SEND are not always effective, so some do not achieve as well as they should.
• The phonics programme lacks rigour and is not implemented consistently.
• Some pupils' reading books do not match their phonics ability.
• Some children in early years have not secured the learning behaviours needed to be ready to read.
• Some staff have low expectations of behaviour, allowing low-level disruption that slows learning.
• Pupils report challenging behaviour at social times, including disrespectful language and fallouts.
• Attendance is too low, especially for disadvantaged pupils, leading to missed learning and gaps.
• Pupils have limited opportunities to be active in the wider community.
• Pupils' understanding of diversity in society and fundamental British values is not secure.

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 Oakwood Primary Academy attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.5% 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, 2.6% of pupils at Oakwood Primary Academy 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 Oakwood Primary Academy had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 49.3% 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, 23.0% of pupils at Oakwood Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Oakwood Primary Academy received £7,758 and spent £8,118 for each of its 273 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £201,000 (£737 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Discovery Multi Academy Trust, income was £8,088 and spending £8,406 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

Oakwood Primary Academy is part of Discovery Multi Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Beechwood Primary Academy Plymouth
• Weston Mill Community Primary Academy Plymouth

What is Oakwood Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakwood Primary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Oakwood Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakwood Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Oakwood Primary Academy have?

Oakwood Primary Academy has 235 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakwood Primary Academy cover?

Oakwood Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Oakwood Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakwood Primary Academy?

Oakwood Primary Academy is at Pendeen Crescent, Southway, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 6QS.