St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Plymouth
St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Plymouth. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 73 schools in Plymouth with published results, and 1st of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Devon (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Mary's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 100% of Year 6 pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Devon and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 84% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put St Mary's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 20 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Mary's Church of England Primary School are Sherford Vale School & Nursery (1.3 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths); Yealmpton Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 89% maths); Elburton Primary School (1.4 miles, Outstanding, 85% reading, 89% maths); and Goosewell Primary Academy (2.1 miles, Good, 86% reading, 74% maths).
St Mary's Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Sherford Vale School & NurseryYealmpton Primary SchoolElburton Primary SchoolGoosewell Primary Academy
What parents say
18 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mary's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 60% 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 the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (60%).
Who goes there
3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 34 pupils (34%) received SEN support and 4 (4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
St Mary's Church of England Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 9 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Mary's Church of England Primary School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Elliots Hill (w-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Devon (16).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mary's Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be part of a caring, inclusive community where they feel safe and valued. The school excels at developing well-rounded pupils through an ambitious curriculum and exceptional extra-curricular opportunities including trips to New Zealand, scuba diving, and mountain biking. Reading is a priority with consistent, effective teaching that gets children excited about books from Reception onwards.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding personal development provision with impressive extra-curricular activities including scuba diving, mountain biking and gorge walking
- Effective and consistent approach to teaching reading from Reception onwards with strong phonics instruction
- Exemplary behaviour and attitudes, with pupils taking responsibility for their conduct and disruption being rare
- Ambitious, well-designed curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils including those with special educational needs
- Strong inclusive culture where every pupil is seen and heard
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers' checks on how well pupils retain curriculum knowledge are not effective enough, leading to gaps in learning
- Teachers do not always use information about pupils' achievements well enough to inform their teaching
- Some misconceptions in pupils' knowledge are not being resolved, preventing some pupils from reaching their full potential
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Scuba diving, mountain biking, gorge walking, Year 6 trip to New Zealand, community projects, before- and after-school provision
St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a welcoming, inclusive school where most pupils achieve well and benefit from exceptional learning experiences. The school has high aspirations for all its pupils and is described by parents as the heartbeat of the community.
At a Glance
25.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
18 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 improved from 84% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 79% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 84% to 100% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.0
Avg class size
18.5
Infant (KS1)
31.5
KS2
4
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mary's Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mary's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mary's Church of England Primary School is in Devon; for families living there:
- Devon's school travel policy: Free school transport
- How to apply: Apply for free school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mary's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mary's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mary's Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Devon, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mary's Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Devon 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
92%
Near capacity
94 pupils
102 places
8 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 Devon council
Places available
9,014
Applications
6,494
Got 1st preference
96.5%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Devon council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
38.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
100
Total Pupils
50
Boys
50
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
10.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£59,137
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,208
Per pupil
£648k
Total funding
£27k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.5%
Overall absence
2.3%
Persistent absence
88
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 Mary's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Mary's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 100% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Mary's Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Devon allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 102 places.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School average 25 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School has around 100 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
3.5% of sessions were missed at St Mary's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 2.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Devon's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mary's Church of England Primary School 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Devon is 3 (the median across 426 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
St Mary's Church of England Primary School is at Elliott's Hill, Brixton, Plymouth, Devon, PL8 2AG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)