Welcome to Notre Dame School!

Thank you for taking an interest in our work. Our school has a long and proud tradition of education in Plymouth and offers a distinctive approach to education as a Catholic comprehensive school for boys / girls. Catholic education is distinctive, as it draws upon a two-thousand year heritage of wisdom and reflection on the human experience of life and how to live it well. From the outset, then, our approach to education whilst not disregarding the needs of the economy places the individual person at the centre of the educational efforts. Catholic education seeks the positive formation of every individual, in the service of the Common Good. The Common Good requires individuals to set aside selfish pursuits in the more important collective enterprise of building a better, safer, fairer, kinder, more inclusive society of tomorrow. Our school is open to everyone who wants to be a part of such a community. We expect all members of our school to aspire to greatness - both their own and that of others. For this, we expect each person to work hard, to learn from mistakes, and to show kindness to all. If you would like to join us, we look forward to welcoming you soon.

It is a privilege to welcome you to Notre Dame Plymouth: a Catholic school with a proud history, a strong sense of community and an ambitious vision for the future.

For more than 160 years, Notre Dame has been educating young people in Plymouth, inspired by the vision of St Julie Billiart and the Sisters of Notre Dame. That heritage continues to shape who we are today. At the heart of our school is the belief that education is about the formation of the whole person - head, heart and hands - developing young people who are knowledgeable and curious, compassionate and courageous, and ready to make a positive contribution to the world around them.

Our Catholic Schools Inspection captured something very special about Notre Dame, describing “a culture of welcome, inclusivity and support” which permeates school life. Inspectors also described Notre Dame as “an exceptionally supportive, joyful and inclusive community.” These are words of which we are immensely proud because they reflect the school we want every student, family, member of staff and visitor to experience.
We want every student at Notre Dame to know that she belongs, that she is valued and that we have the highest expectations of what she can achieve. We are a fully comprehensive school and believe passionately that background, starting point or individual need should never place a ceiling on aspiration. Our responsibility is both to challenge and support every student so that she can flourish academically and grow in confidence, character and faith.

This is an exciting period in Notre Dame's story. We are building upon the many strengths of our school while being determined to improve those areas where we know we must do better. We have high expectations of ourselves, our staff and our students, and our focus is firmly upon providing consistently excellent teaching, strong pastoral care and the highest standards of safeguarding, behaviour and attendance. We want Notre Dame to be a centre of excellence for the young people of Plymouth and the surrounding area.
Academic success matters enormously to us, but a Notre Dame education is about more than examination results. Our students are encouraged to discover their talents, develop their interests, serve others and become confident young women who recognise both their own worth and their responsibility towards others. Through our curriculum, Catholic life, retreats, enrichment, leadership opportunities, careers education, sport, creativity and service, we seek to prepare our students not simply for examinations, but for life.

This reflects St Julie's conviction that young people should be taught “whatever is necessary for life.” It is an educational vision that remains as relevant today as when the Sisters of Notre Dame first brought it to Plymouth.
Our Sixth Form continues this formation into young adulthood and is a vibrant, inclusive community in which we are delighted to welcome both young women and young men. Students joining us from Notre Dame, St Boniface's College and other schools become part of a supportive community with high aspirations for every individual. Through academic challenge, individual support, leadership opportunities and expert guidance, we prepare our Sixth Form students for university, apprenticeships, employment and the wider world.

Above all, Notre Dame is a community built upon relationships. Our students are known as individuals. We value the partnership between school and home and recognise the enormous contribution made by our students, parents and carers, staff, governors, Plymouth CAST and the wider Notre Dame and Catholic communities.
Our mission calls us to be optimistic, to recognise the dignity and potential of every person, to rise to challenges and to celebrate achievement. Inspired by St Julie's belief in the goodness of God, we want our young people to leave Notre Dame not only with excellent qualifications, but with the confidence, values and sense of purpose to use their gifts well.

Whether you are considering Notre Dame for your daughter, exploring our Sixth Form for your son or daughter, already part of our school community, returning as a former student or simply discovering our school for the first time, I hope that our website gives you a sense of the spirit of Notre Dame.

There is, however, no substitute for experiencing our school in person. We would be delighted to welcome you to Notre Dame and to show you the warmth, ambition and sense of belonging that make our community so distinctive.
Welcome to Notre Dame Plymouth - a place to belong, to grow and to flourish.

Our Mission Statement 

Cultivating excellence

Growing as people and schools

Rooted in the love of Christ

Educating for life