Plymstock School Review 2026: Values led 11 to 18 education with a well developed Sixth Form

“Be kind, work hard and aim high” is not presented as a marketing line here, it is used as the organising language for expectations and daily routines. The school is a large, mixed, non selective academy in Plymstock, with post 16 provision and a strong emphasis on curriculum structure and culture.

Leadership has recently shifted. Mr Stuart Koehler-Lewis is listed as headteacher on Get Information About Schools, and the Trust announced that he would assume the headteacher role from the start of the Summer Term.

The latest Ofsted inspection (April 2023) judged the school Good across all headline areas, including Sixth Form provision.

The school’s stated intent is clear. It emphasises integrity, knowledge, and a culture in which students think carefully and do things well, with the core values used as a practical reference point across school life.

This is a big school, and the tone matters. The published materials point to a culture that aims for calm routines and consistent expectations, including explicit guidance on punctuality and how the school manages lateness.

There is also a deliberate sense of community contribution. The school’s wider ecosystem includes a community sports centre offer, and the site is used for activities beyond the mainstream timetable, which can help students see the school as more than lessons alone.

This is a school with outcomes that sit differently at GCSE and A level, and it is helpful to look at each stage in its own right.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Plymstock School is ranked 3008th in England and 15th in Plymouth for GCSE outcomes. That places results below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure. Average Attainment 8 is 46.1, and Progress 8 is 0, which indicates progress that is broadly in line with the national benchmark. EBacc average point score is 4.08, in line with the England figure. Top grades are a minority of entries, with 16.5% at grades 9 to 7 and 6.7% at grades 9 to 8.

A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

The picture improves at Sixth Form. The school is ranked 1362nd in England and 6th in Plymouth for A level outcomes, which places it broadly in line with the middle of schools in England on this measure. Grade distribution shows 47.39% at A* to B overall, close to the England average with 3.48% at A* and 15.65% at A.

A practical way to interpret this split is that the Sixth Form appears to provide a solid route for students who are well matched to post 16 study, while GCSE outcomes point to a cohort where supporting consistent attainment across a comprehensive intake remains a key priority.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view GCSE and A level indicators side by side with other Plymouth schools, rather than relying on reputation alone.

Curriculum design and teaching approaches show a strong emphasis on sequencing and building knowledge year on year. External evaluation in 2023 described a well structured curriculum planned to build from Year 7 through Year 11, with continuity into Key Stage 5.

The wider offer includes a detailed careers and employability programme. The published careers information sets out a progressive model from Year 7 to Year 13, including structured work experience at Year 10 and again in Sixth Form.

At Sixth Form level, the school signals a strong focus on next steps, including targeted support for different pathways. Open evening materials reference career pathway programmes and guidance routes for students interested in areas such as law, engineering, higher apprenticeships, and Russell Group ambitions.

Where Students Go Next

The school does not publish a full Russell Group or Oxbridge destinations breakdown on its main website pages in a way that supports consistent year on year comparison, so the best available statistical picture comes from the dataset’s destinations measures.

For 2023/24 leavers, 44% progressed to university, 4% started apprenticeships, 37% entered employment, and 2% went to further education (with the remainder not specified). This profile suggests a mixed set of outcomes, with university routes important but not dominant, and employment outcomes also significant for this cohort.

Oxbridge data shows 3 applications to Oxford in the measurement period, with 0 offers and 0 acceptances recorded. For most families, the more relevant point is that post 18 planning appears to include multiple routes, including apprenticeships and employment, not only university.

Year 7 entry for September 2026 is coordinated through Plymouth’s secondary admissions process. Applications opened 3 September 2025 and closed 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026.

The school’s published Year 7 admissions arrangements for the 2026/27 intake set out a Published Admission Number of 240, and confirm the same closing date (31 October 2025) and allocation date (2 March 2026).

For families planning a move, the practical step is to check what the admissions criteria prioritise and then validate your own home to school distance. The FindMySchoolMap Search is designed for this, especially where distance criteria can be decisive in oversubscription years.

Sixth Form entry has its own pathway. The school’s admissions information also lists an allocation date for Year 12 decisions and a defined appeals window for that entry point.

Open events can be a useful proxy for culture and the reality of subject options. The school advertised a Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 22 January 2026, with booking links for presentations and a subject fair format.

Pastoral support is framed as both preventative and targeted. On the student experience side, there are clearly signposted support spaces, including a named “BE Kind” support group designed for young carers and bereaved children, run during the school day.

Attendance expectations and punctuality systems are also transparent, including clear thresholds for what counts as late and what processes follow. For many families, this clarity is reassuring, particularly for students who benefit from predictable routines.

Ofsted’s 2023 report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

A useful marker of extracurricular breadth is whether a school can offer both mainstream clubs and niche, identity forming activities. The enrichment list does that.

On the sports side, the programme includes structured sessions for football, netball, basketball, trampolining (girls), table tennis, and year specific badminton, plus recreational football at break times.

The academic and creative menu includes Homework Support in the Library, GCSE Computer Science revision, Design and Technology NEA support, and a Year 11 Art and Photography Club, alongside a Singing Group.

What stands out most, though, are the less typical clubs that often matter to student belonging: WARHAMMER 40,000 and Dungeons and Dragons are explicitly listed. For students who are not defined by team sport, these kinds of options can be the difference between “attending school” and feeling part of it.

Facilities also matter for the daily experience. The school’s sports centre pages list a fitness suite with specific equipment (including treadmills, cross trainers, rowing machines, and free weights), which helps signal that physical activity is supported with proper resource, not just timetabled PE.

Plymstock School is a state funded school, so there are no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs such as uniform, trips, and optional extras like instrumental tuition, which is covered in the school’s charging guidance.

For morning routines, the attendance guidance indicates students should be on site by 8:35am, with specific processes for later arrival. Public pages do not clearly state an end of day finishing time in one definitive place, so it is sensible to confirm the daily timetable directly with the school, especially for new Year 7 transition planning.

For transport planning, Plymouth’s school transport guidance highlights that applications should be submitted before 31 May if support is needed for a September start, with post 16 transport guidance also available.

• GCSE outcomes are the key improvement area. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking sits below England average overall, and top grades represent a minority of entries. Families should ask how the school is tightening consistency of teaching and behaviour routines across all subjects and year groups.

• A level outcomes are steadier than GCSE. Sixth Form results sit closer to England averages and rank more strongly locally. This can suit students who need time to mature academically, but it also raises a practical question about the bridge from Year 11 to Year 12 and what support helps students make that step successfully.

• A large school experience. With a capacity around 1,680, students have breadth of peers and activities, but some will prefer a smaller setting where staff visibility is naturally higher. (This is worth exploring at open events and transition activities.)

• Pastoral support is present, but behaviour consistency matters. Published materials indicate clear systems and targeted support groups, yet families should still probe how classroom disruption is managed where it arises, particularly for students who are easily distracted.

Plymstock School offers a clear, values anchored model of secondary education with a well developed careers programme, distinctive enrichment options, and a Sixth Form that performs more strongly than GCSE results might suggest. It best suits families who want a comprehensive local school with structured expectations and a broad extracurricular menu, and whose child is likely to benefit from the post 16 pathway and careers focus. The main decision point is whether GCSE outcomes and classroom consistency align with your child’s needs and learning profile.