St Andrew's Cof E VA Primary School Review 2026: High-achieving city-centre Church school with a broad, outward-facing curriculum

This is a small, central Plymouth primary where the city becomes part of the curriculum. The school highlights easy access to local cultural and waterfront landmarks, and it leans into that advantage with trips, visitors, and partnerships that give learning a real-world edge.

Academic outcomes are a clear strength. In 2024, 82.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. A notable 29.67% reached the higher standard, compared with 8% across England. Reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling scaled scores (108, 107, 108) also sit comfortably above typical benchmarks.

Leadership has stabilised after a period of change. Miss Carys Lewis was appointed on 01 September 2022, and she is also listed as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Admissions are competitive for a small intake. Reception has 30 places, and recent demand data suggests more applicants than places. Expect families to need a clear strategy, particularly if applying on faith grounds or under exceptional need criteria.

The school describes itself as a Church of England primary that is inclusive of families of all faiths and none, with strong links to The Minster Church of St Andrew. It also sets an explicit ambition to be a “school family” where everyone thrives, supported by a values framework built around Love, and six stated Christian values: Perseverance, Truthfulness, Compassion, Friendship, Courage and Respect.

In day-to-day practice, this reads as a school that takes relationships seriously and gives pupils a lot of “voice” opportunities. The website points parents to pupil leadership structures (such as School Council) and faith-life groups (including a Christian Ethos Group), signalling that responsibility and participation are part of the culture rather than bolt-ons.

A distinctive feature here is context. The school explicitly positions its location as “exceptional”, and gives examples of how it uses that: collaborations with Plymouth Arts University, civic and market-linked projects, and access to nearby city venues for learning beyond the classroom. That is particularly valuable for families who want a primary education that is not confined to the school site, and for pupils who respond well to learning grounded in place, community, and lived experience.

Pastoral support is framed as practical, not theoretical. The school’s leadership information names safeguarding and SEND roles clearly, which typically correlates with joined-up communication for families when issues arise.

The school’s performance profile is strongest when you look at combined attainment and higher-standard outcomes. In 2024, 82.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. The higher standard figure, 29.67%, is also well above the England average of 8%, indicating that the top end is being stretched rather than simply getting pupils over the line.

Scaled scores reinforce that picture. Reading is 108, mathematics is 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling is 108. The combined total score across reading, maths and GPS is 323. These are the sort of figures that usually show strong consistency across cohorts, not just a one-off spike.

Rankings provide context for parents comparing locally. Ranked 2,504th in England and 7th in Plymouth for primary outcomes, this places the school above the England average, and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

If you are using FindMySchool to compare options nearby, the Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful here, because they let you put the scaled scores and higher-standard measures side-by-side rather than relying on headline judgements.

The curriculum is explicitly designed to be structured, progressive, and responsive to the pupil cohort. The school describes teaching subjects separately while using a thematic structure, underpinned by “core questions” that are revisited to build conceptual depth over time. For pupils, that usually means learning that connects across weeks rather than stopping and starting with isolated topics.

Early reading is clearly systematised. Phonics is taught daily in Early Years and Key Stage 1 using a Department for Education approved Twinkl phonics scheme, and decodable books are matched to the teaching sequence. For families, the practical implication is that reading progress should be easier to support at home, because the books pupils bring back are designed to align with what they have been taught.

Writing is also a stated priority in the current cycle. The school reports participation in an Education Endowment Foundation trial using Writing Roots, described as daily one-hour lessons built around diverse texts, explicit grammar teaching, and structured opportunities for authentic writing. That signals a research-informed approach, and it often translates into clear routines and consistent language across classes, which can help pupils who need predictability.

Oracy is presented as a through-line, embedded in lessons via vocabulary development, questioning, and reasoning. With the school’s location and partnerships, that focus on communication makes sense, since trips, visitor programmes and civic projects work best when pupils are expected to speak, present, and reflect rather than passively observe.

As a Plymouth primary, pupils move on to a broad secondary landscape that includes non-selective schools and selective grammar options. Plymouth City Council’s admissions guide notes that most secondary schools are non-selective, and that Devonport High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls, and Plymouth High School for Girls admit via an entrance exam, with the 11+ taking place over two Saturdays in September.

For families weighing secondary pathways early, the practical takeaway is timing. The council timetable places the secondary application cycle and 11+ process squarely in Year 6, with specific autumn deadlines. That means Year 5 is a sensible point to start exploring options, especially if you are considering selective schools, because preparation is not just academic; it includes familiarisation with routines, travel logistics, and whether your child thrives in a high-competition peer group.

The council guide also shows that St Andrew’s appears in the network of primaries linked with several local secondaries, including All Saints CE Academy and Lipson Co-operative Academy, which underlines a common reality in cities: there is rarely a single “destination” secondary. For most families, the best approach is to shortlist a realistic mix, then use the admissions criteria and distance planning tools to understand what is plausible from your home address.

Admissions are coordinated by Plymouth City Council, but as a voluntary aided Church school the governing body sets its own oversubscription criteria and uses supplementary forms for specific categories.

Reception places and demand

The published admission number is 30 for Reception. Recent demand data shows 54 applications for 30 offers in the normal round, which equates to 1.8 applications per place. That is not “exam pressure” competition, but it is meaningful for a small intake, especially when criteria are layered.

Key dates for September 2026 entry

Plymouth’s published timetable for starting primary school in September 2026 is clear: applications open Monday 17 November 2025, close Thursday 15 January 2026, offers are released Thursday 16 April 2026, and the deadline to accept is Thursday 23 April 2026.

Oversubscription, what matters most

The admissions arrangements confirm that pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted, and that looked-after and previously looked-after children are prioritised. After that, one of the key routes is exceptional medical or social need, but the bar is explicitly “exceptional” and evidence-based.

Catchment and faith grounds

The school has a designated catchment area, and it also prioritises church-going families within the criteria. For faith applications, the policy defines regular attendance at a Christian place of worship as at least monthly for two years immediately prior to application, supported by evidence from a minister, returned by the closing date.

Families should read that carefully. It is not simply “baptised” or “we attend occasionally”; it is a defined pattern with a time window. If you are aiming for a faith-priority category, you need to plan early enough that the evidence aligns with the two-year requirement.

Practical tip

If you are shortlisting this option, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your exact home-to-gate position against other local schools, and then read the oversubscription criteria line-by-line. In schools with layered criteria, precision matters.

The school’s values framework is explicit, and that usually helps behaviour and relationships, because expectations are named and repeated rather than assumed.

The October 2022 Ofsted inspection rated the school Good overall and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. Beyond the headline, the report describes pupils respecting differences and celebrating a multicultural pupil body, plus systems for supporting pupils who join after disruption and need to catch up.

That combination, high attainment plus a clear inclusion narrative, is often a sign of a school that has routines and academic ambition, but also knows how to re-stabilise learning for children with uneven prior experience. For parents, the best questions to ask at a tour are practical: how the school tracks progress for pupils who arrive mid-year, and how staff communicate with families when concerns arise.

The club offer is simple, named, and easy for parents to understand. Clubs typically run 3.15pm to 4.15pm, and the published list includes:

• Gym and Dance with Mrs Dean (Foundation, Year 1, Year 2), and also for Years 3 to 6

• Plymouth Argyle Football Coaching (Foundation to Year 2 on Tuesdays, Years 3 to 6 on Wednesdays)

• JAM Club (Jesus and Me), run by the Church Team, for Foundation through Year 6

These choices fit the school’s identity. Plymouth Argyle coaching links sport to a local institution, which can motivate pupils who respond to recognisable role models. JAM Club aligns with the Church of England ethos without assuming that every family is highly religious, because it sits as an optional extension rather than the whole offer.

Beyond clubs, the school also gives examples of wider enrichment that show how it uses its location and partnerships: arts collaboration (a Banksy-inspired mural with Plymouth Arts University students), gardening and enterprise links in the city centre, and learning visits to local cultural venues. For many pupils, these are the moments that build confidence: presenting work publicly, interacting with external adults, and seeing that school learning has relevance beyond tests.

The school publishes a clear daily timetable. Breakfast Club starts from 7.45am (booking only). Gates open at 8.35am (Citadel Road) and 8.40am (Gooseberry Lane), with class registers beginning at 8.45am. The school day ends at 3.15pm.

Wraparound childcare is available. Breakfast Club runs 7.45am to the start of lessons (with breakfast service ending at 8.20am), and after-school childcare (Kids Club) runs from 3.15pm to 5.50pm.

This is a city-centre setting, so travel planning matters. For many families, walkability will be a deciding factor, and the dual-gate morning entry system is useful if you are navigating drop-off with work commutes. If you are driving, it is worth checking your likely route at peak time, because congestion patterns near the centre can change quickly.

• A small intake means less margin for error. With 30 Reception places, a modest rise in local demand can make the difference between getting in and missing out. That can be stressful if you treat it as a “backup” without a second plan.

• Faith criteria are specific and evidence-based. If you are applying under church attendance, the policy expects at least monthly worship for two years, supported by minister evidence by the deadline. Families who want faith priority need to plan this early and carefully.

• Play and social times are an improvement focus. External review notes that behaviour at social times needs consistent management so that games feel inclusive and considerate for all pupils, including younger children.

• City-centre advantages come with city-centre practicalities. The curriculum benefits from location, but drop-off, parking, and travel time are not always straightforward. Families should trial the journey in school-run conditions before committing.

St Andrew's Cof E VA Primary School combines strong academic outcomes with a distinctive “city as classroom” approach that makes learning feel relevant. The faith identity is real and structured, but the school also emphasises inclusivity for families of all faiths or none. Best suited to families who want high attainment, clear values, and outward-facing enrichment, and who can engage with a detailed admissions process. The main challenge is securing a place in a small intake.