School profile

Hele's School

Secondary · Academy converter · Plymouth, PL7 4LT

Good

Map showing Hele's School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#700 of 3,312

Better than 78% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#1,276 of 2,536

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Hele's School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Jul 2017

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,378 of 1,349 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Emma Clapham
TrustWESTCOUNTRY SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authorityPlymouth
Opened01 Apr 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136557.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolPlymouthEngland
Attainment 8 score52.446.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths83.5%67.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths64.4%49.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths16.1%13.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths78.4%63.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4236--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolPlymouthEngland
Average points per A-level entry33.7334.4335
Average A-level gradeC+--
Average points, best three A-levels32.9334.9435.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsC+--
AAB or better10.6%16.9%17.5%
A-level progress score0.05--
A-level progressAverage--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study123--
Average applied general gradeDist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils1,378
Girls669
Boys709
Eligible for free school meals16%
First language not English3.9%
SEN support169
EHC plan47
Average class size22.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
89.3%
Other White
4.3%
White and Asian
1.2%
Other mixed
1.1%
Other ethnic group
0.7%
African
0.6%
Indian
0.5%
White and Black Caribbean
0.4%
White and Black African
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolPlymouthEngland
Overall absence8.1%9.2%8%
Persistent absence20.4%25.5%21.6%
Severe absence2.9%4.5%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)233
Applications (Year 7)554
First preference applications (Year 7)279
First preference offers (Year 7)226
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)55

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places1,349
Pupils on roll1,385
Unfilled places0%
Sixth form places132
Sixth form pupils on roll209

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher20.2
Pupils per adult13.5
Teachers (FTE)68.08
Teaching assistants (FTE)17.16
Support staff (FTE)60.36
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2572.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2567.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250.8
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate14.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions5.7%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination90.5%
Staying in education75.9%
School sixth form40.5%
Further education34.5%
Apprenticeship12.5%
Not sustained6.9%
Employment2.2%
Sixth form college0.4%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destination89.4%
Higher education48.9%
Employment35.1%
Not sustained9.6%
Apprenticeship4.3%
Further education1.1%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Hele's School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryBoringdon Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt Mary's Priory CofE Infant & Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryWoodford Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Mary's Priory Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miSecondaryPlympton AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.2 miPrimaryPlympton St Maurice Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.3 miPrimaryChaddlewood Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryGlen Park Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.6 miPrimaryLeigham Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimaryYealmpstone Farm Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Hele's School

What is Hele's School's Ofsted rating?

Hele's School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Jul 2017.

How does Hele's School rank in England?

Hele's School ranks 700 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 78% of schools) and 1,276 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

How many pupils attend Hele's School?

Hele's School has 1,378 pupils aged 11 to 18, with capacity for 1,349.

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.