Courtlands School, Plymouth
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Courtlands School has made impressive progress in how it teaches reading, with many more pupils successfully learning phonics through precise assessments of their needs. The school has strengthened support for communication and interaction, helping pupils express themselves more confidently. Staff morale has improved significantly, and the overall atmosphere is now calmer and more orderly, with fewer behaviour incidents and injuries.
Key Strengths
- Rapid improvements in early reading with phonics curriculum and precise assessments
- Strengthened communication and interaction support using speech and language therapy expertise
- Notable improvements in school culture with calmer atmosphere and fewer behaviour incidents
- Sustained reduction in physical restraint through staff training on de-escalation strategies
- Improved governance with interim academy board providing informed oversight and visiting regularly
Areas for Improvement
- Leaders' strategic oversight of behaviour is still developing - not yet focused on patterns and trends
- Full implementation of newly designed broad and ambitious curriculum not yet complete (starting September 2025)
- Pre-emptive steps to prevent poor behaviour spreading need to be strengthened
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective; the school has sustained a clear reduction in physical restraint use through de-escalation training and now provides an increasingly positive environment with appropriate external agency involvement.
Courtlands School is a special school in Plymouth that remains in special measures but has made progress since March 2024. Leaders have implemented improvements in reading instruction, communication support, behaviour management, and curriculum design.
At a Glance
58.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 0%. Maths has remained stable at around 0%. Writing has remained stable at around 0%.
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
101 pupils
100 capacity
1 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Plymouth
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Plymouth
Admissions Demand - Plymouth
Places available
3,266
Applications
2,784
Got 1st preference
89.5%
Got preferred school
98.1%
Secondary admissions across Plymouth (2025/26)
Inspection History(18)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.00478%
Overall absence
26.36364%
Persistent absence
110
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Linked Schools
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