The Cathedral School of St Mary, Plymouth
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The Cathedral School creates an inclusive, welcoming environment where children from diverse backgrounds thrive and feel happy and safe. Reading is taught excellently from the start, with strong support for all learners including those who join late or need extra language support. The school inspires pupils to have ambitious futures through careers guidance, sports, arts, and meaningful community experiences.
Key Strengths
- Strong reading programme with early phonics teaching and excellent support for pupils joining late or speaking English as an additional language
- Outstanding personal development with high aspirations, careers guidance, and inspirational talks from successful people
- Exceptional pastoral support and positive relationships creating a happy, safe environment where pupils attend well
- Well-designed behaviour routines and inclusive culture that effectively supports pupils with additional needs
- Rich opportunities in sports, arts, and community projects including residential farm visits
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment practices in some subjects are not yet consistently implemented, meaning curriculum adaptations are sometimes not well matched to pupils' starting points
- Need to develop more rigorous teaching approaches in wider curriculum subjects beyond reading and mathematics
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear focus on keeping pupils safe online and in the community.
Extracurricular Activities
Careers club, sports, arts activities, residential farm visits, community projects
The Cathedral School of St Mary is a welcoming primary school that celebrates diversity and provides warm, nurturing relationships. The school has improved significantly since its previous inspection and now provides good quality education across most areas.
At a Glance
52.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
27 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 56% to 60%. Maths has declined from 67% to 47%. Writing has declined from 67% to 60%.
Class Sizes
27.0
Avg class size
4
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
102 pupils
119 capacity
17 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Plymouth
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Plymouth
Admissions Demand - Plymouth
Places available
3,262
Applications
2,358
Got 1st preference
96.8%
Got preferred school
99.6%
Primary admissions across Plymouth (2025/26)
Inspection History(4)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1008%
Overall absence
23.85321%
Persistent absence
109
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
The Cathedral School of St Mary
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