Sir John Hunt Community Sports College has closed (Monday 31 August 2026).
It became an academy, which has a new school record. The school at this address is now Sir John Hunt Community Sports College.
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College, Plymouth
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Plymouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 14th-highest of the 19 schools in Plymouth with published results, and 2,159th of 3,298 across England. It was 88% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Plymouth (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 8 Oct 2026
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College in detail
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby and homework club.
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.3 in Plymouth and 47 across England.
37% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Plymouth and 47% in England.
That is up from 39.8 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.1: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.3, against 48.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 15 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Hospitality and Catering.
Getting a place at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
For September 2026 entry, 148 families put Sir John Hunt Community Sports College as their first choice and 271 named it as one of their preferences, for 151 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Sir John Hunt Community Sports College are Sir John Hunt Community Sports College (under 0.1 miles); Notre Dame RC School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.6); St Boniface's RC College (1 mile, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 37.8); and All Saints Church of England Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.5).
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Sir John Hunt Community Sports CollegeNotre Dame RC SchoolSt Boniface's RC CollegeAll Saints Church of England Academy
What parents say
16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sir John Hunt Community Sports College (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 126 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 9% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Of the 53 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 40% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 28% into work.
Who goes there
42.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Budeaux Ferry Road Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whitleigh Court (e-bound), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sir John Hunt Community Sports College stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sir John Hunt Community Sports College issued 527 suspensions, 68.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2022 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
About
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Whitleigh area of Plymouth in the English county of Devon. The school is named after Sir John Hunt, an army officer who is best known as the leader of the successful 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
42.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
16 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.30 to -0.10 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 39.8 to 43.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 24% to 37% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 43.1 | 37.1% |
| Disadvantaged(49) | - | 37.3 | 24.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(56) | - | 48.2 | 48.2% |
| Boys(61) | - | 42.1 | 31.1% |
| Girls(44) | - | 44.5 | 45.5% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(99) | - | 43.6 | 36.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 126 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.39%
Exclusion rate
527
Suspensions
68.71%
Suspension rate
123 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 767 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sir John Hunt Community Sports College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is in Plymouth; for families living there:
Apply to Plymouth for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
756 pupils
857 places
101 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Plymouth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Plymouth
Across Plymouth council
Places available
3,165
Applications
2,761
Got 1st preference
91.7%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All secondary applications across Plymouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
127
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
20.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
760
Total Pupils
379
Boys
381
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
55
Teachers
13.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,004
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,844
Per pupil
£6634k
Total funding
£326k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.5%
Overall absence
42.2%
Persistent absence
754
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
What are GCSE results like at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 43.1. 37% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Sir John Hunt Community Sports College's Ofsted rating?
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
No fixed boundary. When Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is oversubscribed, Plymouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 857 places.
How big are the classes at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
Classes at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College average 23.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College has around 760 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
12.5% of sessions were missed at Sir John Hunt Community Sports College in 2024/25. 42.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
Apply through Plymouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Sir John Hunt Community Sports College on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
Where is Sir John Hunt Community Sports College?
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is at Lancaster Gardens, Whitleigh, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 4AA.