Mursley Church of England School

Mursley Church of England School is a small Church of England infant school where pupils are warm, inclusive and highly positive about school life. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and inspectors found a school with an ambitious culture, strong relationships and high expectations that pupils consistently meet. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well, and behaviour is exceptional: classrooms are calm and purposeful, pupils are motivated, and attendance is excellent. Leadership is reflective and staff feel supported. The school has a clear vision and works well with governors, the local authority and the diocese. Reading is a particular strength, with expert phonics teaching and rapid support for pupils who fall behind. Personal development is also strong, with pupils taking leadership roles, learning about difference and taking part in purposeful trips and community events. The main area for improvement is the non-core curriculum. In a small number of foundation subjects, the sequence of learning has not been fully defined, and assessment does not consistently check the ambitious knowledge the school intends pupils to learn. As a result, pupils are not learning as well as they could across the entire curriculum, and teachers are not always precise about gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school is aware of this and has included it in its improvement plan. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Pupils are warm, inclusive and respectful of difference.
• Leaders have created an ambitious culture with high expectations for learning and conduct.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.
• The curriculum is well sequenced in most subjects, particularly English and mathematics.
• Reading is taught very well, with expert phonics teaching and effective support for pupils who fall behind.
• Pupils with SEND are identified well and lessons are adapted effectively to help them achieve.
• Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Purposeful trips and community events enrich pupils’ learning.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional, and classrooms are calm and purposeful.
• Attendance is excellent, with effective support for pupils who are persistently absent.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and trust leaders to consider their workload and well-being.
• Leaders work well with governors, the local authority and the diocese.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum sequencing is not fully refined in a small number of non-core subjects.
• Assessment in foundation subjects does not consistently check the knowledge pupils are learning.
• Teachers are not always clear about pupils’ knowledge gaps in foundation subjects, limiting precise support.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Mursley Church of England School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Mursley Church of England School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Mursley Church of England School had 13.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.3% of pupils at Mursley Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Mursley Church of England School received £13,563 and spent £14,183 for each of its 45 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £103,000 (£2,292 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

What is Mursley Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mursley Church of England School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Mursley Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mursley Church of England School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Mursley Church of England School have?

Mursley Church of England School has 45 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mursley Church of England School cover?

Mursley Church of England School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Mursley Church of England School?

Mursley Church of England School is at Main Street, Mursley, Mursley Ce School, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK17 0RT.