UTC Plymouth

UTC Plymouth is performing well, having received a 'Good' rating across all inspection categories during its first inspection. The school fosters a vibrant and welcoming environment, with a strong emphasis on core values like resilience and respect. Pupils express pride in their school, enjoying a strong sense of community and support from staff. The school is committed to providing quality education and preparing all students for future opportunities, including those with special educational needs. They have established positive relationships with local employers, enhancing the students' readiness for the workplace.

Strengths

• Pupils have a strong sense of community and feel safe.
• Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• The school promotes a strong focus on personal development and inclusivity.
• Staff support for pupils' behaviour expectations is effective.
• The curriculum is well-planned and adapted to respond to new year groups.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers' assessment methods are not precise enough to ensure all pupils fully understand the curriculum.
• Some staff lack sufficient subject-specific knowledge which impacts teaching.

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 UTC Plymouth attended 85.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 11.6% of pupils at UTC Plymouth were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 UTC Plymouth had 13.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 17.0% of pupils at UTC Plymouth were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 UTC Plymouth received £8,946 and spent £9,355 for each of its 596 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £466,000 (-£781 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Reach South Academy Trust, income was £10,522 and spending £10,515 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

UTC Plymouth is part of Reach South Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Morice Town Primary Academy Plymouth
• Marlborough Primary Academy Plymouth
• Stoke Damerel Primary Academy Plymouth
• Drake Primary Academy Plymouth
• High Street Primary Academy Plymouth
• Stuart Road Primary Academy Plymouth
• Millbay Academy Plymouth
• Pilgrim Primary Academy Plymouth
• Mount Tamar School Plymouth
• Courtlands School Plymouth

What is UTC Plymouth's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for UTC Plymouth is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was UTC Plymouth last inspected by Ofsted?

UTC Plymouth was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does UTC Plymouth have?

UTC Plymouth has 594 pupils on roll.

What age range does UTC Plymouth cover?

UTC Plymouth for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are UTC Plymouth's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 31.5, and 24% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is UTC Plymouth?

UTC Plymouth is at Park Avenue, Devonport, Plymouth, PL1 4RL.