Notre Dame RC School, Plymouth
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 7 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school provides good support for pupils with special educational needs in its resourced provision and creates a calm, orderly learning environment where most pupils concentrate well. The school offers enriching experiences including university visits, field trips to Iceland, and visits to a nuclear dockyard. Leaders have started to improve attendance and achievement for disadvantaged pupils.
Key Strengths
- Pupils with SEND in the specially resourced provision receive good support to develop life skills
- Leaders have improved achievement for disadvantaged pupils and are taking action to raise attendance
- The school is a calm, orderly environment where pupils generally concentrate in lessons
- Careers guidance programme helps raise aspirations through Future Friday assemblies and university visits
Areas for Improvement
- Safeguarding culture is not open and positive - pupils fear reporting concerns and leaders do not act quickly enough
- Many pupils have significant gaps in knowledge, especially those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
- Attendance rates remain persistently below national average, particularly for vulnerable pupils
- Teaching quality is highly variable and assessment strategies are not consistently used to plan next steps
- Pupils lack understanding of mental health support, British values and healthy relationships
Safeguarding
Not effective - Leaders have not ensured an open and positive safeguarding culture, with pupils reluctant to report concerns and poor record-keeping of safeguarding issues.
Extracurricular Activities
Sports clubs, art clubs, drama clubs, technology clubs, culture and respect week, Future Friday assemblies, women in STEM trip to nuclear dockyard, geography field trip to Iceland, charity events, leadership and volunteering activities, bereavement support, mentoring, work experience, skills for life programme
Notre Dame RC School requires special measures due to failing to provide an acceptable standard of education. The school has significant safeguarding concerns and inconsistent achievement across all pupil groups.
At a Glance
25.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
96 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
23.0
Avg class size
32
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
85%
Available places
764 pupils
900 capacity
136 spare places available
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(5)
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.76755%
Overall absence
31.31171%
Persistent absence
709
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Notre Dame RC School
Beechwood Primary Academy
Oakwood Primary Academy
Whitleigh Community Primary School
Widewell Primary Academy
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Woodfield Primary School
Thornbury Primary School
Widey Court Primary School
St Peter's RC Primary School
Courtlands School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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