St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy, Plymouth
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Plymouth, part of The First Federation Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 66th-highest of the 73 schools in Plymouth with published results, and 13,005th of 14,452 across England. It was 31% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Plymouth (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy in detail
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to St Budeaux CE Primary School. St Budeaux is a small school and we believe we are one of Plymouth's hidden gems. Tucked away in our corner of the city, we are incredibly proud of our rich history and our strong sense of family and community."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 50% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Plymouth and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 72% in reading and 69% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 2 families put St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy as their first choice and 8 named it as one of their preferences, for 2 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy are Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Marine Academy Primary (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 92% reading, 92% maths); Ernesettle Community School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 82% maths); and Victoria Road Primary (0.6 miles, Good, 56% reading, 64% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy.
Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery SchoolMarine Academy PrimaryErnesettle Community SchoolVictoria Road Primary
The trust
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is one of 29 schools run by The First Federation Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (75%).
Who goes there
7.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Budeaux Victoria Road Rail Station, about 1190 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kings Tamerton Reservoir (sw-bound), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy issued 3 suspensions, 3.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy are Marine Academy Plymouth (0.2 miles), All Saints Church of England Academy (1 mile) and Sir John Hunt Community Sports College (1.5 miles).
Marine Academy PlymouthAll Saints Church of England AcademySir John Hunt Community Sports College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in July 2022. Before that, as St Budeaux Foundation CofE (Aided) Junior School (URN 113483), it was rated Good in January 2016.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Budeaux creates a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive both academically and personally. The school excels at supporting all learners, particularly those with additional needs, and provides exciting enrichment activities that develop teamwork and resilience. Children are happy, feel safe, and benefit from a broad curriculum taught by knowledgeable teachers.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading with a popular new library and effective phonics programme
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND through individualised targets and early identification
- Teachers have secure subject knowledge, particularly strong in religious education and science
- Nurturing environment with kind and respectful pupils
- Effective transition support for younger children joining the school and Year 6 pupils moving to secondary
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils sometimes do not secure basic letter formation, handwriting and spelling skills before moving to more complex tasks
- Staff do not always have consistently high expectations to correct errors and ensure foundational skills are fluent
- Pupils' overall attendance is too low with too many persistently absent, leading to significant gaps in learning
- School strategies to improve attendance are not having enough impact
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Cookery, junior field gun, various sporting clubs, soap box-style car building and racing, university challenges including design activities
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy has successfully maintained the standards from its previous inspection. The school is ambitious for pupils' achievement and creates a nurturing environment where pupils feel happy and safe.
At a Glance
29.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 69% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 69% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 72% to 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
12.8
Avg class size
20.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is in Plymouth; for families living there:
Apply to Plymouth for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 47
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 3 serious and 42 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Plymouth is 22 (the median across 107 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
Will you get a place at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Plymouth, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy for 2023 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Plymouth got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
31%
Available places
74 pupils
240 places
166 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
3,035
Applications
2,294
Got 1st preference
93.5%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Plymouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
16.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
55
Total Pupils
31
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
9.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,205
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,063
Per pupil
£606k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.7%
Overall absence
26.3%
Persistent absence
76
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 69% reached the expected standard in reading and 50% did so in maths.
What is St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in July 2022. Before that, as St Budeaux Foundation CofE (Aided) Junior School (URN 113483), it was rated Good in January 2016.
What is the catchment area for St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Plymouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 31% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
Classes at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy average 12.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy has around 55 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
9.7% of sessions were missed at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy in 2024/25. 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
Apply through Plymouth's coordinated admissions process, naming St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 47 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 3 serious and 42 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Plymouth is 22 (the median across 107 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?
St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is at Priestley Avenue, Higher Saint Budeaux, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 2DW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)