Morley Meadow Primary School

Morley Meadow Primary School is a highly effective school, judged strong standard in every inspected area, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders are highly ambitious and the curriculum is ambitious, well-sequenced and underpinned by high-quality texts and stories. Pupils achieve above national figures overall, especially in reading, writing and mathematics, and current writing shows significant improvement. Behaviour is impeccable, attendance is well managed, and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education. Early years provision is strong, with children flourishing in a well-planned environment and receiving excellent support for early reading and writing. Inclusion is a notable strength: pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are identified early, supported precisely, and typically make strong progress. Governance is sharp and supportive, staff are positive about leadership, and personal development helps pupils become reflective, responsible and inclusive citizens. The school is part of Westcountry Schools Trust and has 226 pupils. Its next step is to continue strengthening leadership across all areas so that the achievement and experiences of vulnerable pupils are deepened and sustained over time. Published data shows disadvantaged pupil gaps remain compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, particularly in writing and mathematics.

Strengths

• Leaders are highly ambitious for all pupils, including those facing barriers to learning.
• Pupils achieve above national figures across the curriculum, including in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Current writing shows significant improvement in grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Pupils' behaviour is impeccable in lessons and around the school.
• Positive staff-pupil relationships foster inclusion, respect and a calm learning environment.
• Leaders are relentless in improving attendance and support pupils who join mid-year.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well-sequenced and underpinned by high-quality texts and stories.
• Early reading and phonics teaching are highly expert, producing confident readers by the end of key stage 1.
• Early years provision is well planned and stimulating, preparing children very well for Year 1.
• Inclusion is highly effective, with early identification and bespoke SEND support.
• Disadvantaged pupil funding is used in a targeted, evidence-based way to support academic, social and emotional development.
• Governance and trust oversight are knowledgeable, sharp and supportive.
• Staff are overwhelmingly positive about leaders' support for wellbeing and workload.
• Personal development helps pupils become reflective, responsible and inclusive citizens.
• Pupils have a rich range of clubs, visits and leadership opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Published disadvantaged pupil gaps remain compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen leadership across all areas so vulnerable pupils' achievement and experiences are deepened and sustained over time.

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 Morley Meadow Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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, 2.7% of pupils at Morley Meadow 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 Morley Meadow Primary School had 22.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 32.1% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Morley Meadow Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Morley Meadow Primary School received £6,756 and spent £6,478 for each of its 226 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £255,000 (£1,130 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

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

• Plymstock School Plymouth
• Oreston Community Academy Plymouth
• Coombe Dean School Plymouth
• Sherford Vale School & Nursery Sherford
• Austin Farm Academy Plymouth
• Woodford Primary School Plymouth
• Hele's School Plymouth
• Plympton St Maurice Primary School Plymouth
• Boringdon Primary School Plymouth
• Eggbuckland Community College Plymouth

What is Morley Meadow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Morley Meadow Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Morley Meadow Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Morley Meadow Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Morley Meadow Primary School have?

Morley Meadow Primary School has 216 pupils on roll.

What age range does Morley Meadow Primary School cover?

Morley Meadow Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Morley Meadow Primary School?

Morley Meadow Primary School is at 51 Encombe Street, Plymouth, PL9 7GN.