Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
86%
Capacity
767
Pupils
2.0x
Demand
About Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College is a mixed secondary school in Plymouth that currently educates 767 pupils against a capacity of 890, meaning it has some room to grow. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 42.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 301 applications for 151 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.99, with 163 of those applications coming as first preferences. Of those first-preference applicants, 145 were offered a place. The school has a sixth form, catering for students up to age 19, and its religious character is listed as 'Does not apply'.
Academically, the school's Progress 8 score sits at -0.1, which is slightly below the Plymouth local authority average of -0.04 and places it 10th out of 18 schools in the area. In national terms, this ranks it in the bottom 50% of schools, at the 57th percentile. Attainment 8 stands at 44.5, and 65.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though that drops to 41.3% when looking at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is very low at 3.2%, and the EBacc average point score is 3.36. In the sixth form, 25 students achieved an average of 34.22 points per entry, graded at C+, with a value-added score of 0.09, rated as 'Average' progress. Ofsted rated the school as Good overall in its most recent inspection in 2022, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2018.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, gymnasium, science labs, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, basketball, swimming, and martial arts, while clubs range from the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Model UN to chess, drama, and orchestra. SEND provisions cover nine areas, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Parent feedback is very positive: 94% of respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (94%), feels safe (94%), and does well (100%). This school is likely to suit families in Plymouth looking for a large, inclusive secondary with strong pastoral care and a broad extracurricular offer, particularly those who value the sports specialism and the sixth form option.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Lancaster Gardens, Plymouth, Plymouth, PL5 4AA |
| Headteacher | Julie Bevan |
| Local Authority | Plymouth |
| Number of Pupils | 767 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 42.7% |
| School Capacity | 767 / 890 (86% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
21 Sept 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 9 Nov 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.10)
1784th of 3,141
Nationally
181st of 306
In South West
10th of 18
In Plymouth
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
'21/22
39.6
'22/23
28.5
'23/24
34.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2350%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 140 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)50%
- FE college27%
- Employment8%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship6%
93% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2342%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 31 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
5%
Russell Group
5%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)42%
- Employment26%
- Not sustained19%
- Apprenticeship13%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Sociology12
- Psychology7
- Mathematics5
- English Language and Literature4
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
16 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
21Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed151
301
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
163 families put this school as their 1st choice (54% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British91.3%
- White (other)3.7%
- Mixed2.2%
- Asian0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
8
Total schools
8
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Lancaster Gardens, Plymouth
Plymouth, PL5 4AA
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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