Whitleigh Community Primary School has closed (Monday 31 August 2026).
It became an academy, which has a new school record. The school at this address is now Whitleigh Community Primary School.
Whitleigh Community Primary School, Plymouth
Whitleigh Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Plymouth. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 54th-highest of the 73 schools in Plymouth with published results, and 11,173rd of 14,452 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Plymouth (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 8 Oct 2026
Whitleigh Community Primary School in detail
Whitleigh Community Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am, from £3.50 per day.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at Whitleigh Community Primary School 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 rose from 67% in reading and 61% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Whitleigh Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Whitleigh Community Primary School as their first choice and 40 named it as one of their preferences, for 24 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Whitleigh Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whitleigh Community Primary School are Whitleigh Community Primary School (under 0.1 miles); Woodfield Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths); St Peter's RC Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 65% reading, 59% maths); and Beechwood Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 42% reading, 58% maths).
Whitleigh Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Whitleigh Community Primary SchoolWoodfield Primary SchoolSt Peter's RC Primary SchoolBeechwood Primary Academy
Who goes there
40.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 10.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 83 pupils (26.5%) received SEN support and 12 (3.8%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Whitleigh Community Primary School had 20 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 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 Ferry Road Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whitleigh Court (e-bound), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Whitleigh Community Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Whitleigh Community Primary School issued 36 suspensions, 10.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
40.9%
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 declined from 67% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 61% to 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 63% to 69% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.3
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
22.4
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Whitleigh Community Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitleigh Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitleigh Community Primary School is in Plymouth; for families living there:
Apply to Plymouth for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Whitleigh Community Primary School
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
317 pupils
420 places
103 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
83
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
30.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
313
Total Pupils
154
Boys
159
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,555
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,778
Per pupil
£2388k
Total funding
£194k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
22.1%
Persistent absence
289
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Whitleigh Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Whitleigh Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Whitleigh Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Whitleigh Community Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Whitleigh Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitleigh Community Primary School is oversubscribed, Plymouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Whitleigh Community Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Classes at Whitleigh Community Primary School average 22.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Whitleigh Community Primary School has around 313 pupils on roll. 41% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whitleigh Community Primary School?
7.9% of sessions were missed at Whitleigh Community Primary School in 2024/25. 22.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Apply through Plymouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitleigh Community 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.
Where is Whitleigh Community Primary School?
Whitleigh Community Primary School is at Lancaster Gardens, Whitleigh, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 4AA.