Mousehole School

Mousehole School is a small school in Cornwall and part of Truro and Penwith Academy Trust. This full section 5 inspection found the school performing above the expected standard in every area inspected, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have created a vibrant, inclusive and nurturing school where pupils achieve highly, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils benefit from a broad and aspirational curriculum with strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching is knowledgeable and well matched to pupils’ needs, and the early years provision gives children an excellent start. Attendance is improving, behaviour is impeccable, and pupils’ personal development is a notable strength, supported by wide-ranging experiences and strong pastoral care. Leadership and governance are highly effective, with strong engagement from parents, staff and the trust. There are no significant concerns in the report. The only next step is for leaders to continue strengthening the teaching of the curriculum so that all pupils are exceptionally well prepared for future learning.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve highly by the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics enable excellent progress across the wider curriculum.
• Attendance is improving, with disadvantaged pupils attending more regularly than disadvantaged pupils nationally.
• Pupils behave impeccably, showing confidence, respect and a love of learning.
• The curriculum is broad, aspirational and enriched by meaningful community links.
• Teaching is knowledgeable, with effective questioning, feedback and tasks that help pupils build on prior learning.
• Early years provision gives children an excellent start, especially in communication, language and phonics.
• Inclusion is a strength, with precise targets and well-matched support for pupils with SEND.
• Leadership and governance are highly effective, placing pupils at the heart of decisions and supporting staff well.
• Personal development is impressive, with wide-ranging experiences and strong pastoral care.
• Safeguarding is effective, with an open culture and all legal requirements met.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching of the curriculum can be further strengthened so that all pupils are exceptionally well prepared for future learning.

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 Mousehole School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.3% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Mousehole School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Mousehole School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.5% 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, 8.5% of pupils at Mousehole School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 2024–25 Mousehole School received £7,659 and spent £8,034 for each of its 100 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£336 per pupil).

Across all 41 schools of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, income was £7,781 and spending £7,890 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Penzance · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

Mousehole School is part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, which runs 41 schools. The nearest others:

• Newlyn School Penzance
• Alverton Primary School Penzance
• Pensans Community Primary School Penzance
• Mounts Bay Academy Penzance
• Gulval School Penzance
• St Buryan Primary School Penzance
• Ludgvan School Penzance
• St Hilary School Penzance
• Nancledra School Penzance
• Sennen Community Primary Academy Penzance

What is Mousehole School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mousehole School is Strong standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Mousehole School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mousehole School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Mousehole School have?

Mousehole School has 94 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mousehole School cover?

Mousehole School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Mousehole School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Mousehole School?

Mousehole School is at Foxes Lane, Mousehole, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 6QQ.