Mawnan CofE VA Primary School

Mawnan CofE VA Primary is an exceptionally strong school where pupils are joyful, eager to learn and highly motivated. Inspectors found outstanding provision across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years; under the current framework no overall effectiveness grade is given. Pupils, including those with SEND, learn the curriculum exceptionally well and are very well prepared for secondary school, while behaviour is exemplary and personal development is woven through school life. The school has been recovering from a period of sadness and grief. The headteacher's inspirational leadership has united the community, and staff provide strong pastoral support and model care and compassion. The curriculum is highly ambitious and carefully designed for mixed-age classes, reading is central, and staff have strong subject knowledge. Parents praise the school, attendance is excellent, and governors know the school well. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and no significant weaknesses were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Pupils are joyful, eager to learn and highly motivated.
• Behaviour is exemplary in lessons and at social times.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and learn the same ambitious curriculum as peers.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious, detailed and well sequenced for mixed-age classes.
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and use probing questions and quizzes effectively.
• Pupils produce consistently high-quality work and write extensively across the curriculum.
• Reading is culturally ingrained, with rigorous phonics and strong outcomes.
• Personal development is woven throughout school life, including clubs, trips and an environmental ethos.
• Attendance is excellent, and the school works closely with families to limit absence.
• Early years provision helps children become confident and independent learners.
• Leadership is inspirational and has united the school community through a difficult period.
• Governors have significant expertise and hold the school to account robustly.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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 Mawnan CofE VA Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.0% 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 Mawnan CofE VA Primary 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 Mawnan CofE VA Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% 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, 7.6% of pupils at Mawnan CofE VA Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Mawnan CofE VA Primary School received £7,464 and spent £7,225 for each of its 144 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £417,000 (£2,897 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 Falmouth · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

What is Mawnan CofE VA Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mawnan CofE VA Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Mawnan CofE VA Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mawnan CofE VA Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Mawnan CofE VA Primary School have?

Mawnan CofE VA Primary School has 144 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mawnan CofE VA Primary School cover?

Mawnan CofE VA Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Mawnan CofE VA Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mawnan CofE VA Primary School?

Mawnan CofE VA Primary School is at Shute Hill, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5HQ.