Mary Dean's CofE Primary School and Nursery

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good

Mary Dean Avenue, Tamerton Foliot, Plymouth, PL5 4LSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Mary Dean's CofE Primary School and Nursery is a primary school in Plymouth for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 103 schools in Plymouth. It ranks 71st of 71 primary schools in Plymouth. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 22 October 2024, report published 27 November 2024

This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.

Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Early years provision
Good
Safeguarding
Met

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 October 2024

Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school provides many experiences to develop pupils' character. The range of clubs and activities help pupils to develop confidence. Pupils have a voice in the clubs on offer. This helps the offer to be broad and interesting for them. Pupils are proud of their sporting achievements in the locality. The school is ambitious for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn alongside one another. However, the school has not fully implemented the curriculum as intended. Pupils do not learn the curriculum well or achieve as well as they should. The school's expectations of pupils are not high enough. This is not the case in the early years, where children receive a strong start to their learning and development. Recent changes to the behaviour policy are having a positive impact. Pupils know the rules. They show respect towards adults and one another. They learn and play together well. The school is developing effective support for those pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour.

What the school should improve

  • In some subjects, the school has not identified the important content it wants pupils to learn. As a result, pupils do not build secure knowledge over time. The school and trust need to make sure that the content of the curriculum is clear so that pupils learn more and remember more.
  • Staff do not have the subject and pedagogical knowledge they need in some subjects. This means they lack the expertise needed to teach the curriculum consistently well and support pupils sufficiently. The trust must ensure that professional development has the impact needed so that all pupils follow an ambitious and clearly sequenced curriculum.
  • The school does not hold staff to account effectively to ensure that the curriculum is implemented as intended. This means that pupils' experience of the curriculum is too varied across subjects, year groups and within teams. The school and trust must ensure that they check with greater rigour how well the curriculum is implemented so that pupils experience the curriculum as the school intends.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

44 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths27%

27%, 35 percentage points below the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths0%

0%, 8 percentage points below the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score101

101, 5 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score98

98, 7 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score100

100, 5 below the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

281 pupils on roll, with places for 350

Eligible for free school meals17.8%

17.8%, 8.7 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language4.6%

4.6%, 17 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support19.2%

19.2%, 4.4 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.5%

2.5%, 3.5 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Mary Dean's CofE Primary School and Nursery

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
St Peter's RC Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good41% met the expected standard
Woodfield Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good63% met the expected standard
Beechwood Primary Academy1 mileOfsted judgements: Good34% met the expected standard
Whitleigh Community Primary School1 mileNo Ofsted inspectionNot published
Knowle Primary School1 mileReport card: Expected standard to strong standard73% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
THE FIRST FEDERATION TRUST
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Miss Lesa Garside
Address
Mary Dean Avenue, Tamerton Foliot, Plymouth, PL5 4LS
Local authority
Plymouth
URN
150116

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.