School Chooser

St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyChurch of England55 pupilsNurseryPlymouth
School Chooser Score
6
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 3 to 15
Out of 100. Better than 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1142%England 63%
Attendance90.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families31%A bit more than most schools
Places185 spare55 pupils, 240 places
Pupils per teacher12.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll55Census January 2026

St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy is a converter academy in Plymouth for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 55 pupils and room for 240. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 7 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it.

Priestley Avenue, Higher Saint Budeaux, Plymouth, PL5 2DW01752 365217stbfs.co.ukMrs Natasha Brooks headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

26 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1142%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level15%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 74%74%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 74%74%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 59%59%20242025: 42%42%2025
Since 2017: -32%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†PlymouthEngland
Pupils tested262943314954
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths42%59%58%74%67%74%65%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths15%10%9%6%8%4%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0105.0104.0104.0106.0105.1105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0105.0105.0105.0104.0106.0104.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0104.0104.0108.0106.0108.0104.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard69%72%77%77%78%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard50%69%74%87%82%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)65%72%72%87%78%91%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.5-0.9-0.7+2.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.9-0.2+0.4+2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged45%30%62%47%45%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged40%74%57%80%81%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for St Budeaux Foundation CofE (Aided) Junior School, the school this one replaced in July 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
45%40%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
25%50%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
9%15%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places74 pupils for 240 places, 2024/25
31% full

166 places were empty (69% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Plymouth council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll55Census January 2026
Places24023% full
Pupils from low-income families29%31% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%7 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%2 pupils with a plan
Average class size12.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)33%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls31 / 24
White British pupils87%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (4), language and communications needs (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll5582106138
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%38%38%30%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%4%6%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%22%21%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance90.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school26.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/22†2020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.7%8.4%7.5%6.5%3.4%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence7.9%6.5%5.9%5.2%2.6%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%1.9%1.7%1.3%0.8%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence26.3%29.8%23.9%19.6%6.0%7.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.70.03.60.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for St Budeaux Foundation CofE (Aided) Junior School, the school this one replaced in July 2022. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.1full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher12.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,204
Teachers who left in the year30%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.92024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£10,317England £7,128. Total £846k
Income per pupil£10,171England £7,587. Total £834k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,915England £3,405
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £23k, £277 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£12kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£10,317spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m16912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate72 per 1,000 people21% lower than the England average
Nearest bus stop120 mKings Tamerton Reservoir, 22 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Plaistow Hill Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy110 m165Good 202234Compare
Marine Academy PrimaryFree school440 m506Outstanding 202299Compare
Ernesettle Community SchoolAcademy810 m587Outstanding 201989Compare
Victoria Road PrimaryAcademy0.6 miles172No overall grade 202510Compare
Knowle Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles275Report card 202634Compare
St Paul's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles136Good 202214Compare
Shakespeare Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles381No overall grade 202433Compare
Weston Mill Community Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles184No overall grade 20242Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy with the 46 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats33%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 7 is 7 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 13 · highest 94100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 7 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 7% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 3 to 15. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 26 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.21
DfE progress measure; 26 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.20
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.25
2024/25; 76 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 26 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy scores 7 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 3 to 15, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 42% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 15% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy have?

55 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 23% full.

Is St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 166 places were empty in 2024/25 (69% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 90.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Budeaux CofE Primary Academy?

The average class had 12.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Priestley Avenue, Higher Saint Budeaux, Plymouth, PL5 2DW
Telephone
01752 365217
Website
www.stbfs.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Natasha Brooks
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Exeter
Multi-academy trust
The First Federation Trust (29 schools)
Local authority
Plymouth
Ward
St Budeaux
Constituency
Plymouth Moor View
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2022 (academy converter)
URN
149192 · LAESTAB 8793757 · UKPRN 10090705
Formerly
St Budeaux Foundation CofE (Aided) Junior School

Where these figures come from