Ford Primary School

Ford Primary School is performing well overall, with inspectors finding strong provision across education, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years. Pupils are happy, safe and well supported in a nurturing environment, and they build positive relationships with staff. Although published key stage 2 outcomes are below the national average, current pupils are building knowledge successfully and producing high-quality work. The school has high expectations and places reading at the heart of the curriculum. Phonics begins in Reception, struggling readers are supported to catch up, and pupils with SEND are identified early and given thoughtful adaptations so they can access the same ambitious curriculum. Staff feel valued and benefit from trust support and professional development, and behaviour is positive, with low-level disruption handled quickly. The main area for improvement is enrichment. The school does not yet have a carefully planned programme to extend pupils’ wider experiences and interests beyond the academic curriculum, so some pupils do not benefit from the full range of opportunities available. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This inspection followed a previous judgment of requires improvement, and the school is part of Learning Academies Trust.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and form warm, respectful relationships with staff
• The school has established a positive climate for learning with pupils focused in lessons
• Leaders and the trust share a relentless ambition for pupils
• Reading is placed at the heart of the curriculum with rich texts and regular reading opportunities
• Phonics starts in Reception and pupils who struggle receive additional support to catch up
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and supported to access the ambitious curriculum
• Staff benefit from a comprehensive professional development programme and feel valued
• Pupils behave well and low-level disruption is addressed quickly
• Pupils develop a good understanding of fundamental British values and respect for difference
• Pupils enjoy clubs, lunchtime activities and pupil council responsibilities
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The school lacks a carefully planned programme of enrichment, limiting opportunities for pupils to pursue interests and widen experiences beyond the academic curriculum
• Published key stage 2 outcomes are below the national average, although current pupils are progressing well

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 Ford Primary School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.2% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Ford 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 Ford Primary School had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% 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, 26.9% of pupils at Ford 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 Ford Primary School received £9,271 and spent £8,980 for each of its 185 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £183,000 (£995 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.

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All schools in Plymouth · Plymouth local authority: places and applications

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

• Mayflower Academy Plymouth
• Hyde Park Junior School Plymouth
• Hyde Park Infants' School Plymouth
• Victoria Road Primary Plymouth
• Mount Wise Community Primary School Plymouth
• Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School Plymouth
• Mount Street Primary School Plymouth
• Shakespeare Primary School Plymouth
• Knowle Primary School Plymouth
• Salisbury Road Primary School Plymouth

What is Ford Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ford Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Ford Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ford Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Ford Primary School have?

Ford Primary School has 171 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ford Primary School cover?

Ford Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ford Primary School?

Ford Primary School is at Cambridge Road, Ford, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 1PU.