St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy, Plymouth
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Plymouth, part of St Christopher's C of E (primary) Multi Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 45th-highest of the 73 schools in Plymouth with published results, and 9,396th of 14,452 across England. It was 70% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
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 Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy in detail
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the school team and governors, I am delighted to welcome you to St Matthew's C of E Primary and Nursery School. Located in Derriford, Plymouth, St Matthew's sits at the heart of a growing and diverse community."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, multi-sports, dance and cheerleading.
Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an admissions event on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026 and an admissions event on Saturday 7 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Plymouth
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Plymouth and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (72% in reading, 77% in maths).
Getting a place at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
For September 2026 entry, 52 families put St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy as their first choice and 97 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy are Tor Bridge Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 89% reading, 86% maths); St Edward's CofE Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 86% reading, 75% maths); Thornbury Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 67% reading, 63% maths); and Eggbuckland Vale Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 78% reading, 81% maths).
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Tor Bridge Primary SchoolSt Edward's CofE Primary SchoolThornbury Primary SchoolEggbuckland Vale Primary School
The trust
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is one of 21 schools run by St Christopher's C of E (primary) Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.
All 21 schools in St Christopher's C of E (primary) Multi Academy Trust
Who goes there
7.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 80 pupils (16.4%) received SEN support and 11 (2.3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Plymouth Rail Station, about 2.7 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Matthews Academy (n-bound), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy issued 40 suspensions, 8.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy are Tor Bridge High (0.6 miles), Eggbuckland Community College (0.9 miles), Notre Dame RC School (0.9 miles) and St Boniface's RC College (1.1 miles).
Tor Bridge HighEggbuckland Community CollegeNotre Dame RC SchoolSt Boniface's RC College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 5 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2022 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
7.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 77% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 61% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.4
Avg class size
29.6
Infant (KS1)
29.9
KS2
14
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Ofsted September 2026 - Early Years Strong
3 Oct 2026
SIAMS Inspection
5 Jun 2026
Cheerleading Fun!
1 May 2026
EYFS Trip to the Aquarium
28 Apr 2026
Playground Updates
18 Apr 2026
Values Day EYFS
3 Apr 2026
From St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery 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
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 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 Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Will you get a place at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy:
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- We hold no last distance offered figures from Plymouth, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy for 2015 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
70%
Available places
439 pupils
630 places
191 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
80
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
18.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
487
Total Pupils
243
Boys
244
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,116
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2416k
Total funding
£62k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
10.3%
Persistent absence
389
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 Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
Questions parents ask about St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy
What are SATs results like at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
Of the pupils at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery 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 Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 70% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
Classes at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy average 30.4 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy has around 487 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
4.6% of sessions were missed at St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy in 2024/25. 10.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
Apply through Plymouth's coordinated admissions process, naming St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery 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 Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Plymouth is 22 (the median across 107 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy?
St Matthew's Church of England Primary and Nursery Academy is at 1 Peregrine Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5FN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)