Eggbuckland Vale Primary School

Eggbuckland Vale Primary is performing exceptionally well. Inspectors found all key judgements outstanding in this January 2025 graded inspection, with the school building on its previous good grade. The school is part of CONNECT Academy Trust and includes a specially resourced Deaf Education Centre with 18 places for pupils with moderate to profound hearing loss. There were no areas of concern identified in the report. The school’s values-led culture and high levels of mutual respect create a highly inclusive environment, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Deaf pupils benefit from a bespoke programme that develops independence, confidence and life skills, while hearing pupils also learn British Sign Language. The curriculum is ambitious, carefully sequenced and inspiring, and pupils produce high-quality work. Reading and phonics are strong from the early years, with exceptional adaptations for pupils with SEND. Staff are knowledgeable and passionate, and leaders at all levels are exceptional. Professional development and staff well-being are invested in continually by the school and trust. Personal development is a notable strength, helping pupils celebrate their distinctive knowledge and skills, including Young Carers and pupils from service families. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Values-led culture with high mutual respect across pupils and staff
• Exceptional SEND provision, including seamless inclusion of deaf pupils from the Deaf Education Centre
• Bespoke programme for deaf pupils builds independence, confidence and life skills
• Highly ambitious, intricately sequenced curriculum that pupils love
• Strong reading and phonics practice from Nursery through Reception, with exceptional SEND adaptations
• Purposeful vocabulary development across subjects, including mathematics and history
• Pupils produce high-quality work and show extremely positive attitudes to learning
• Knowledgeable, passionate staff supported by sustained trust and school investment
• Exceptional leadership at all levels underpins school success
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Personal development helps pupils celebrate their distinctive knowledge and skills, including Young Carers and service families

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 Eggbuckland Vale Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.6% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Eggbuckland Vale 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 Eggbuckland Vale Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.9% 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, 17.8% of pupils at Eggbuckland Vale Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 17 pupils.

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 Eggbuckland Vale Primary School received £7,476 and spent £7,660 for each of its 396 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £69,000 (£173 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Connect Academy Trust, income was £6,766 and spending £6,801 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

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School is part of Connect Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Widey Court Primary School Plymouth
• Manadon Vale Primary School Plymouth
• Leigham Primary School Plymouth
• Thornbury Primary School Plymouth
• Haytor View Community Primary School Newton Abbot
• Preston Primary School Torquay
• Cockington Primary School Torquay
• Eden Park Primary & Nursery School Brixham

What is Eggbuckland Vale Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Eggbuckland Vale Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Eggbuckland Vale Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Eggbuckland Vale Primary School have?

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School has 404 pupils on roll.

What age range does Eggbuckland Vale Primary School cover?

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Eggbuckland Vale Primary School?

Eggbuckland Vale Primary School is at Eggbuckland Vale Primary School, Charfield Drive, Charfield Drive, Eggbuckland, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5PS.