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Coombe Dean School

Secondary · Plymouth · PL9 8ES

Data updated

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Expected standard

Report-card inspection (current system, from November 2025)

The headline grade shown is the Achievement area of the school's report card.

Safeguarding: MetCurriculum & teaching: Strong standardAchievement: Expected standardAttendance & behaviour: Expected standardPersonal development: Expected standardInclusion: Strong standardLeadership & governance: Expected standardEarly years: Not applicablePost-16: Expected standard

Inspected 3 March 2026 · report published 8 May 2026

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

1,000 pupils · 85% of 1,180 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Academy converter
Age range
11–18
Gender
Mixed
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
19% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
14.4% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
12.3% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
3.9% of pupils (2024/2025)
Sixth form
Yes
Website
http://www.coombedean.co.uk
URN
136558

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 262 families named it first for 170 Year 7 places, 1.54 first choices per place. We hold 3 Year 7 admissions rounds for it, 2023 to 2026; none was decided by a published distance. At its report-card inspection on 3 March 2026, under the system Ofsted introduced in November 2025, the Achievement area was judged Expected standard. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 7.8% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Year 7 entry, September 2026

1.54 first-choice applications per place

170 places offered · 262 first-choice applications · heavily oversubscribed

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

Catchment area

Catchment area: not named in the council's figures.

Admissions cutoff distance: Year 7

Cutoff by admission criterion (2026 entry)

Criterion 4
1.28 miles

Source: the admissions authority's published figures · how cutoffs work

GCSE results (2024/2025)

169 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in 2024/2025

Attainment 8 score
49.2
England 46.1
Grade 4 or above in English & maths GCSEs
76.3%
England 64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs
48.5%
England 45.4%
EBacc average point score
4.5
England 4.1

Progress 8 is suspended nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26. These cohorts sat no key stage 2 tests (COVID), so there is no baseline to measure progress from.

A-level results (2024/2025)

A-level points per entry (England: 35 ≈ B-) C+
34.8
England 35

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means

Schools with a similar intake

Attainment 8, 2024/2025

This school49.2
Median of its 12 closest peers46.8
Plymouth average46.9
England46.1

On attainment 8, this school is ahead of the schools that teach a comparable intake.

They are matched on intake, not location, so most are not local: see nearby schools for those you could apply to.

SchoolOfstedAttainment 8
Northstowe Learning CommunityCambridge · 223 miles awayGood51.4
Magna AcademyPoole · 97 miles awayGood44.3
John Hanson Community SchoolAndover · 127 miles awayGood43.5
Eggbuckland Community CollegePlymouth · 4 miles awayRequires improvement42.3
Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic AcademyStockton-on-Tees · 313 miles awayGood43.3
St Simon Stock Catholic SchoolMaidstone · 209 miles awayExpected standard46.6
The Matthew Arnold SchoolStaines-upon-Thames · 173 miles awayGood49
Wixams AcademyBedford · 197 miles awayExpected standard47.5
Christ's Church of England Comprehensive Secondary SchoolRichmond · 182 miles awayStrong standard57
Manor High SchoolLeicester · 202 miles awayGood58.9
The Chalfonts Community CollegeGerrards Cross · 175 miles awayGood38.9
West Exe SchoolExeter · 34 miles awayExpected standard47

It is not a ranking. Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · how the matching works

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 76% (Plymouth 81%, England 59%) · Any other White background 7% (Plymouth 5%, England 7%) · Not recorded 5% (Plymouth 2%, England 2%) · Any other ethnic group 2% (Plymouth 2%, England 3%) · Any other Mixed background 2% (Plymouth 1%, England 3%) · Black African 2% (Plymouth 2%, England 5%) · Asian Indian 1% (Plymouth 1%, England 4%) · Mixed White and Asian 1% (Plymouth 1%, England 2%) · Mixed White and Black Caribbean 1% (Plymouth 1%, England 2%) · Any other Black background 1% (Plymouth 0%, England 1%) · Mixed White and Black African 1% (Plymouth 1%, England 1%) · other groups together 2%

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
7.8%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
22%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

6.98 suspensions per 100 pupils and 2 permanent exclusions · England, secondary schools: 21.24 suspensions and 0.23 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · Plymouth: 28.83 suspensions and 0.27 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
19.7
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

91% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 2% moved to another state school · 7% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

0% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, secondary academies: 0.45% vacant, 0.33% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

63.9% of teachers took sickness absence, 7.2 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £51,133; 12.3% on the leadership pay range · England, secondary schools: £53,766, 11.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2024-25)

This school£7,438
Typical secondary school£7,846

Where the money went (2024-25)

Share of spending, with the median for secondary schools in brackets: Staff 78% (77%) · premises 7% (5%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 5% (6%) · supplies and services 10% (11%) · educational supplies 7% (6%) · bought-in professional services 2% (1%) · catering 3% (3%)

Reserves (2024-25)

Revenue reserve £1,600,000; in-year balance +£413,000

Spending and reserves, last three years Premium

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: academy finance return, 2024-25, DfE · how spending is compared

Where pupils go after GCSEs

In sustained education, work or training
92%
Continuing in education
82%
Apprenticeship
7%
Employment
2%

Where students go after sixth form

To university / higher education
38%
Apprenticeship
9%
Employment
30%
Any sustained destination
82%

Destinations measured the year after leaving, DfE destination measures in the 2024/2025 performance tables.

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
8/10less deprived than most of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
8/10less deprived than most of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher28.3%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications14.1%18.1%
In managerial or professional work31.5%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways14.9%18.1%
Residents in very good health43.1%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier76.3%62.3%
Social housing5.7%17.1%
Privately rented18%20.5%
Detached houses20.7%22.9%
Flats4.1%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms15.7%21.1%
Households with no car or van13.7%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01015128 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£272,000499 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£210,000–£340,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (144)£366,000
Semi-detached (215)£275,000
Terraced (88)£199,000
Flat (52)£149,000

Homes around this school are cheaper than most school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
1an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
1an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
10an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
4an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools