St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School & Nursery

About St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School & Nursery

St Stephens (Saltash) Community Primary School & Nursery sits comfortably above the Cornwall local authority average for Key Stage 2 outcomes, with 80% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the LA average of 58%. That 22-point gap is significant and places the school in the top 25% nationally for this metric, ranked 14th out of 208 primary schools in Cornwall. The school also outperforms the LA average on individual subjects: 93% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 87% in maths, and 82% in writing. At the higher standard, 49% achieved greater depth in reading, 41% in maths, and 20% in writing. These figures suggest a school that is consistently delivering above the norm for its area, particularly in reading, where the gap between the school and the typical Cornwall primary is widest. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 confirmed it remains Good overall, with leadership and management judged Outstanding — a clear indicator of strong direction from headteacher Sarah Laws and her team.

The school's exam results from 2023/24 show solid academic performance across the board. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths, both above the national benchmark of 100. While progress scores are not available in the data, the attainment figures alone place St Stephens in the top 7% of Cornwall primaries and the top 11% nationally. The school's Ofsted history is consistent: it has held a Good rating across both its graded inspections (2012 and 2017), and the ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management upgraded to Outstanding. The early years provision was also judged Good. With 364 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is not at full capacity but is clearly popular — it received 83 total applications for 42 places in 2025/26, making it oversubscribed by nearly two-to-one, with all 42 first-preference applicants offered a place.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including playing fields, a library, gymnasium, sports hall, art studios, an ICT suite, a sensory room, and a Forest School — the latter a notable asset for outdoor learning in Cornwall. Sports provision includes netball, tennis, football and dance, while clubs range from choir and coding to chess, film club, gardening and eco club. SEND provision is well-developed, covering specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 26.4% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average — the school serves a mixed catchment. It is a non-denominational community school with no nursery provision. For families seeking a strong academic primary in the Saltash area with good SEND support and a wide extracurricular offer, St Stephens is a compelling choice, particularly given its strong KS2 outcomes relative to the Cornwall average.

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