Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School

About Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School

Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery School sits within the Plymouth local authority, a mixed state primary that caters for children from age 2 up to 7. Among its local peers in the same authority, it is ranked behind Tor Bridge Primary School, Elburton Primary School, and Hooe Primary Academy, which are the top-performing schools in the area. The school is not an Outstanding-rated institution; the nearest Outstanding primary is Marine Academy Primary, just 0.4 kilometres away. Of the 69 primary schools in Plymouth, only nine hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted, placing Plaistow Hill in the broader context of a competitive local landscape. The school operates with a capacity of 180 pupils and currently has 141 on roll, meaning it is not full to capacity. It is a non-religious school with no formal religious character, and it offers nursery provision for the youngest children. The headteacher is Sharon Burnett, who leads a team that has overseen the school's recent improvement journey.

Academically, Plaistow Hill has seen a clear upward trajectory in its Ofsted assessments. In its most recent graded inspection in 2013, the school was rated Good overall, with both leadership and management and the quality of education receiving a Good rating. This marks a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2010, when the school was rated Requires Improvement across all measured areas, including early years provision, leadership, and overall effectiveness. The most recent ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed that the school remains Good, with no change to its overall rating. While specific Key Stage 2 SATs results are not provided in the data, the local authority average for KS2 attainment is 63, which gives a benchmark for parents to consider when evaluating the school's performance. The school does not have a sixth form, as it only covers primary years, and there are no A-Level results to report.

Plaistow Hill offers a range of facilities that support both learning and play, including a dining hall, ICT suite, sensory room, outdoor playground, forest school area, art studios, sports hall, and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, football, cricket, cross country, netball, and athletics, while clubs extend to gardening, science club, and coding. The school has identified three specific SEND provisions: moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed, with 48 total applications for 21 places and all 21 first-preference applicants receiving offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.29. This suggests strong local demand, particularly from families who live close enough to make it their first choice. The school is best suited to families in Plymouth seeking a smaller, Good-rated primary with nursery provision and a focus on early years development, especially those who value outdoor learning and a range of extracurricular activities.

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