Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
School Open Days 2023 - Plymouth
Plymouth – School Directory
We know that this is a unique time in the school life of Year 6 pupils who are looking forward to their move to secondary but also may be nervous at the prospect of such a big change. With this in mind, the application process will be opening and schools across the region will shortly be hosting open events in order for you to have face-to-face visits with them and find out all the information you need to make the very important decision about which school your child and you wish for them to attend.
There are other resources available that can help you and your family come to the right decision. Go to www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk to find the Progress 8 scores - this score shows how much progress pupils at a school make between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4. On the website you’ll also find league tables, statistics and the Ofsted rating for individual schools.
To find an Ofsted inspection report about an individual state maintained school visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk. For independent schools, inspection reports can be found on the Independent Schools Inspectorate website by visiting www.isi.net.
Catchment Areas
Although most pupils end up applying to the school in their catchment area, there are some schools, such as faith and grammar schools, that do not operate designated areas and have a slightly different admissions policy. So, it is worth checking the admissions policy on each school’s website for further information. If you are considering applying to a local independent school, it will have its own separate admissions procedure.
Catchment Areas in Plymouth: Designated areas have been pre-determined by Plymouth City Council. To find out more about the designated school for your area, visit the Plymouth City Council school admissions site: www.plymouth.gov.uk/schooladmissions
Applying to a School out of Catchment Area: You’ll be asked to list state schools in order of preference on your application form. Whether a place is offered will depend on the school’s admission process and if places are available. For most schools in Plymouth, there is an admissions priority for children who live in the school’s catchment area.
Pupils Applying to Schools Outside Plymouth
If you live in Plymouth and want to apply to a school outside the boundaries of Plymouth City council, in parts of Devon or Cornwall, for example, you will need to make an application via the Plymouth City Council School admissions page detailed above who will then send details of your request to the appropriate local authority.
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The Application Process
Submit your application for a primary or secondary school place online. An email receipt will confirm that the application has been received.
Plymouth City Council Applications:
Primary, Infant and Junior School applications in Plymouth: The application system will be available from 15th November 2023 until 15 January 2024.
Secondary School applications in Plymouth: The application system will be available from 4th September until 31 October 2023.
Plymouth contacts:
- School Admissions: 01752 307469
- Email (dependent on educational phase that you are involved with): primary.admissions@plymouth.gov.uk
Junior.admissions@plymouth.gov.uk
Secondary.admissions@plymouth.gov.uk
- Online applications: www.plymouth.gov.uk/schooladmissions
Devon County Council Applications:
Primary School Applications: The online system will be available from 15th November 2023 to 15th January 2024
Secondary School Applications: The online system is available from 1st September 2023 until 31 October 2023.
Devon Contacts:
- Education helpline: 0345 155 1019
- Online applications: www.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/school-information/apply-for-a-school-place
- You can search for information about a school in Devon at www.devon.gov.uk/schools
- Email: primaryschooladmissions@devon.gov.uk or secondaryschooladmissions@devon.gov.uk
- This year you will be able to state up to 4 options.
In a separate box
Allocation Days
The dates when school places are officially confirmed are:
1 March 2024 – Secondary Schools
16th April 2024 – Primary Schools
In a separate box at the bottom of the page (in a slightly bigger sub-heading)
Over the next few pages you will find a guide to many of the schools across the county…
Here are some useful resources regarding school phase transition
- The Young Minds website has a special webpage with resources to help pupils, schools, parents and carers to manage changes and transitions throughout their time at school: Find out more at https://www.youngminds.org.uk/professional/resources/supporting-school-transitions
- The Anna Freud website features an animation and accompanying teacher toolkit aimed at supporting pupils who have recently started Year 7 or who will be preparing to transition to secondary school which have been developed in collaboration with young people, teachers and mental health experts. Find out more at www.annafreud.org
- The BBC Bitesize website has a section which provides advice for parents who have a child starting secondary school with tips on the emotional and practical sides of the transition. See more at www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
No Worries: Your Guide to Starting Secondary School by Jenny Alexander has practical hints and tips, jokes and quizzes for the upcoming transition
Go Big: The Secondary School Survival Guide by Matthew Burton is a bestselling book written by a headteacher and aims to take children through their entire secondary school journey.
SCOTT MEDICAL AND HEALTHCARE COLLEGE
Choosing Scott Medical and Healthcare College is a decision that sets students on a path to success and opens doors to a world of opportunities. Set in the heart of Plymouth, we offer the very best medical and healthcare education.
The college prides itself on offering exclusive opportunities, thanks to its partnerships with renowned institutions such as University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, University of Plymouth, Specsavers, and Livewell Southwest. These partnerships provide students with unique experiences and access to invaluable resources, broadening their horizons and connecting them to the real-world applications of medical and healthcare studies.
Additionally, Scott College offers specialised qualifications that give students a competitive edge, increasing their chances of securing placements in highly sought-after university courses.
With a focus on practical learning, the college facilitates work placements with local employers, enabling students to become work-ready and fast-track their learning journey.
The small class sizes at Scott Medical and Healthcare College ensure an exceptional educational experience, as students receive individualised attention and personalised support.
Whether joining in Year 9 or Year 12, choosing Scott Medical and Healthcare College means embarking on a transformative educational journey that equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the medical and healthcare fields.
Plymstock School’s ambition is to empower young people, through education, to have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in life and make a positive difference to their communities. Their school’s community vision is to achieve excellence through Curriculum and Culture by ensuring they give every single pupil a broad, balanced and ambitious academic curriculum that has knowledge at its heart alongside strong pastoral care and support, focused on positive relationships. Join them on their open evening on Tuesday 19 September at 6.30pm to view their school and meet pupils and staff.
Find out more at www.plymstockschool.org.uk
Plymouth High School for Girls
“We are a selective girls' grammar school, with boys accepted into the Sixth Form. Our long, proud history of academic achievement and our commitment to providing a modern, engaging curriculum ensure that our learners enjoy a rich and fulfilling experience at Plymouth High.
Choose us to ensure that your child will be stretched academically, offered a wide range of exciting opportunities, and given the space to develop and grow into whomever they wish to be.
We pride ourselves in offering a first-class academic education with a good balance between challenge and support. We develop the natural enthusiasm and motivation that our students possess to enable them to become resilient and independent learners.
Our students want to achieve the very best results, and we share this ambition. At Plymouth High, we pursue academic rigour and excellence within a kind and supportive environment.
A Plymouth High School student is expected to work hard and to do their best, and in return, they can be sure of a friendly and encouraging learning environment where each person is treated as an individual.
We offer a wonderfully diverse range of opportunities, both inside and outside of the classroom. We have something for everyone and encourage our students to expand their horizons and get involved in school life.”
“All Saints Academy is committed to its journey of becoming one of the South West’s only ‘Outstanding’ schools; this commitment has already been recognised in both its most recent Ofsted and SIAMS inspections as a ‘Good’ school. In 2022 the school achieved its best ever results which placed All Saints in the top 3 most improved schools in the South West.
The school ensures that every student is well-educated, prepared for the future and is able to live life to the full. Our mission is summarised through our shared values of ‘Love, Legacy, and Bravery’ which result in high expectations of students, with a commitment to delivering excellent teaching and learning that inspires students and leads to excellent outcomes. We are driven by our belief in the transformative nature of education and its power to deliver social justice for every child.
All Saints’ state-of-the-art facilities sit at the heart of the Honicknowle community; its outstanding features – from 4G astro-turf to an engineering suite – continue to be developed and invested in. In 2024 we will open our state-of-the-art gym and community centre.
All Saints is proud to be part of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust and partners with outstanding schools up and down the country, along with Plymouth City Council and the Diocese of Exeter as its primary partners.”
Sir John Hunt Community Sports College
“Our College is an exciting place to be, from age 11 through to 19. Every day we help our students to realise our ethos of achieving ‘To greater heights’ through demonstrating our College values of ‘Ambition, Endeavour and Respect’.
At Sir John Hunt we want our students to grow as individuals, to find out who they are and to find their place in the world. We want them to be confident to have a voice but to also be respectful and tolerant of other, different voices. We want them to keep themselves healthy and safe and be able to develop positive relationships with others.
Ultimately, we want our students to be happy and to be successful. We want them to make the most of every opportunity, to join in and be part of the College community.
We invite you to come and see the College for yourself, speak to our amazing students and find out more about us!”
Open Events: Monday 2nd October 2023 5pm - 7pm
Wednesday 11th October 2023 Tours at 9:30am-10:30am & 11:15am-12:15pm
“Hele's School has a strong track record of excellence and personal achievement, with everything we do being underpinned by a strong moral purpose and a commitment to inclusion; we are passionate about education and pledge to create the best possible life chances for the young people in our care.
Our dedication to ensure every child has a happy and inspiring experience of school is unwavering; Ofsted (March 2023), applauded our drive to know and understand every child in and out of the classroom, and we are continually developing our classroom practice to ensure that we deliver challenging and stimulating lessons.
Your child will experience a thoughtfully crafted and well sequenced curriculum which is broad and aspirational for all. We offer a wide range of subjects and enrichment activities that encourage students to develop new skills and interests, and in turn we help to shape ‘rounded and grounded’ citizens who have the experience and confidence to go on and make a positive mark on their communities, verified by awards such as the World Class Schools Quality Mark and Quality in Careers.
Everyone at Hele’s is proud to be associated with our school, shining through in positive attitudes, an environment that promotes care and personal achievement, and in high standards of behaviour: ‘Pupils are proud of their school. They have ‘pride in the badge’ (Ofsted, March 2023).
Hele’s School: a great place to learn and a great place to grow.”