St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe

St. Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe is a small primary academy within the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi Academy Trust. Inspectors found the school performing well across all areas, with pupils who are proud of their school, feel safe and cared for, and show positive attitudes to learning. The curriculum has been rewritten successfully following the previous inspection and is now ambitious across all subjects, with a revised progress-checking system that particularly benefits pupils with SEND. Reading and early years provision are notable strengths, and safeguarding is effective. The school’s early years provision is a key strength, with a carefully designed curriculum, effective staff teamwork and strong preparation for key stage 1. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities and a mature understanding of respect and equality. Governance is effective, and staff value the new leadership’s consideration for their workload and well-being. The school’s outdoor environment also supports pupils’ physical and mental health well. The main area for improvement is the consistency of curriculum implementation. In some lessons, explanations are not clear enough or activities are not precisely matched to pupils’ needs, which can cause pupils to lose focus and unsettled behaviour. The school is also reviewing and strengthening its approach to persistent absence for a small number of pupils. The headteacher took up post in September 2024, and the inspection was a graded inspection under section 5, so no overall effectiveness grade was given.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, cared for and proud of their school
• Pupils are enthusiastic, motivated learners with good behaviour
• The curriculum has been rewritten to be ambitious and knowledge-rich across all subjects
• The revised progress-checking system gives staff a sharper overview and especially benefits pupils with SEND
• Reading is a high priority with systematic phonics and a strong early reading foundation
• Early years provision is a key strength with a well-designed curriculum and effective staff teamwork
• Pupils’ broader personal development is promoted well through enrichment and respect for equality
• Governance is effective, offering a good balance of support and challenge
• Staff value the new leadership’s consideration for workload and well-being
• The outdoor environment supports pupils’ physical and mental health and well-being very well
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent across the school
• Some teachers’ explanations are not clear enough and activities are not precisely matched to pupils’ needs
• In some lessons pupils lose focus or become unsettled, hindering the pace of learning
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is less strong in some areas
• The school is still strengthening its approach to persistent absence for a small number of pupils

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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.2% 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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe 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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe had 19.9 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, 10.7% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe received £7,265 and spent £6,674 for each of its 111 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £111,000 (£998 per pupil).

Across all 23 schools of Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,940 and spending £8,035 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 Mansfield · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe is part of Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 24 schools. The nearest others:

• Kneesall CofE Primary Academy Select
• Sherwood Church Academy Mansfield
• St Peter's CofE Primary Academy, Mansfield Mansfield
• Worksop Priory Church of England Primary Academy Worksop
• Gamston St Peter's CofE Primary School Retford
• Haggonfields Primary and Nursery School Worksop
• St John's CofE Academy Worksop
• St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School Sutton-In-Ashfield
• St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy Retford
• Burntstump Seely CofE Primary Academy Nottingham

What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe have?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe has 103 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe cover?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe?

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe is at Paddock Close, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG21 9LP.