Stoke Damerel Primary Academy, Plymouth

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Stoke Damerel Primary Academy on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Early years - Strong standard. "Children in the Reception Year get off to an excellent start."

Achievement - Expected standard. "In 2025, there was a marked improvement in pupils' attainment in the end of key stage 2 tests."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff work together on a rigorous cycle of checking on and intervening when pupils' attendance begins to dip."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The teaching of phonics is highly effective."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have worked productively with the local authority to develop a tiered approach to support across the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have brought about clear improvements to the curriculum and teaching in English and mathematics."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a full curriculum that helps pupils to keep themselves safe in relationships, online and in the community."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should strengthen the oversight of the support planned for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, so that their experiences and outcomes are monitored rigorously"; "Leaders should refine the design of the curriculum, encouraging pupils to further deepen their learning in the subjects of the wider curriculum, including personal, social and health education"; "Leaders should choose from the best information available to them to support their evaluation of what works well and what could be improved for different groups of pupils, and use this to direct their ongoing improvement work".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to the Stoke Damerel Primary Academy. At Stoke Damerel our motto is Dream Big, Achieve Together. What does this mean for our children? It means that as a school we have a clear aim and intention to provide an education that enables each child to dream of their own unique, possible future."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and netball.

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Stoke Damerel Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% 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 (70% in reading, 73% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 54 families put Stoke Damerel Primary Academy as their first choice and 96 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Stoke Damerel Primary Academy are Stuart Road Primary Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 83% reading, 77% maths); High Street Primary Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 63% reading, 63% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths); and Morice Town Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 60% reading, 73% maths).

Stoke Damerel Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Stoke Damerel Primary Academy is one of 20 schools run by Reach South Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

53 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Stoke Damerel Primary Academy (as of April 2026): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

The nearest railway station is Devonport Rail Station, about 400 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).

27 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Astor Hall (s-bound), 180 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 832 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Plymouth (196), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Stoke Damerel Primary Academy issued 5 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Stoke Damerel Primary Academy are Devonport High School for Boys (0.2 miles), Stoke Damerel Community College (0.4 miles), Scott Medical and Healthcare College (0.4 miles) and UTC Plymouth (0.4 miles).