Sherford Vale School & Nursery

Sherford Vale School has been rated as 'Good' overall in its first inspection, reflecting a positive start for the institution. The school provides a supportive and safe environment where pupils demonstrate happiness and well-being. Relationships between staff and students are respectful and strong, fostering a calm atmosphere conducive to learning. Pupils actively contribute to the school community and engage in various initiatives, reflecting the school's commitment to personal development and social responsibility.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff and each other.
• Leaders have established high expectations for behaviour.
• The school prioritizes early reading, enabling pupils to learn to read accurately.
• Teachers possess strong subject knowledge and receive effective professional development.
• The curriculum for mathematics is well-embedded, promoting deep learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects have an underdeveloped curriculum causing gaps in detailed knowledge and skills.

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 Sherford Vale School & Nursery attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% 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, 0.3% of pupils at Sherford Vale School & Nursery 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 Sherford Vale School & Nursery had 24.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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, 24.8% of pupils at Sherford Vale School & Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Sherford Vale School & Nursery received £6,359 and spent £6,582 for each of its 310 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £23,000 (-£74 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 South Hams · Devon local authority: places and applications

Sherford Vale School & Nursery is part of Westcountry Schools Trust, which runs 31 schools. The nearest others:

• Plympton St Maurice Primary School Plymouth
• Coombe Dean School Plymouth
• Plymstock School Plymouth
• Morley Meadow Primary School Plymouth
• Chaddlewood Primary School Plymouth
• Glen Park Primary School Plymouth
• Hele's School Plymouth
• Boringdon Primary School Plymouth
• Woodford Primary School Plymouth
• Oreston Community Academy Plymouth

What is Sherford Vale School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sherford Vale School & Nursery is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Sherford Vale School & Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Sherford Vale School & Nursery was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Sherford Vale School & Nursery have?

Sherford Vale School & Nursery has 347 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sherford Vale School & Nursery cover?

Sherford Vale School & Nursery for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Sherford Vale School & Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Sherford Vale School & Nursery?

Sherford Vale School & Nursery is at Hercules Road, Gb, Sherford, PL9 8FA.