Wendron Church of England Primary School

Wendron Church of England Primary School is a friendly, inclusive and highly successful primary school where pupils flourish academically and personally. This was its first routine section 5 inspection since joining Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust in September 2022; the predecessor school had been judged inadequate in 2021. Inspectors found the school transformed, with outstanding behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision, while the quality of education was good. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school’s strengths are substantial. Pupils learn in a calm and purposeful environment, treat each other with kindness and respect, and benefit from exceptionally warm relationships with staff. Personal development is a particular hallmark, with a rich wider offer designed especially so disadvantaged pupils benefit, including activities such as sailing and horse riding. Leaders and the trust have high expectations, an ambitious curriculum, strong phonics and reading teaching, skilful SEND provision, and effective governance and checks on the school’s work. Early years children get an exceptionally strong start. The main area for improvement is the wider curriculum. Some pupils find it difficult to recall previous learning and make meaningful links between ideas because of historic gaps in knowledge. The trust should continue to address these gaps so pupils build a rich and secure body of knowledge by the end of key stage 2. Overall, pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education.

Strengths

• Pupils flourish academically and personally in a friendly, inclusive school.
• Behaviour and attitudes are outstanding, with calm purposeful lessons and kind, respectful relationships.
• Personal development is outstanding, with rich experiences such as sailing and horse riding.
• Disadvantaged pupils are prioritised so they benefit from the school’s wider offer.
• Leaders and the trust have transformed the school and maintain high expectations.
• Governance and trust oversight are highly effective and hold the school to account.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well implemented, especially in core subjects.
• Phonics and reading teaching are highly effective, with swift catch-up for pupils who fall behind.
• Early years provision is exceptionally strong, with learning precisely matched to children’s needs.
• SEND provision is skilfully adapted so pupils thrive and become independent learners.
• Staff feel well supported and report positive effects on workload; parents echo positive views.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils have gaps in wider-curriculum knowledge and struggle to recall prior learning, making it harder to connect ideas and build deeper understanding by the end of key stage 2.

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 Wendron Church of England Primary School attended 96.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.2% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Wendron Church of England 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 Wendron Church of England Primary School had 21.4 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, 14.3% of pupils at Wendron Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.0% 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 Wendron Church of England Primary School received £6,791 and spent £7,091 for each of its 102 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £42,000 (£414 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,158 and spending £7,013 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 Helston · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

Wendron Church of England Primary School is part of Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Constantine Primary School Falmouth
• Leedstown Community Primary School Hayle
• Mabe Community Primary School Penryn
• St Francis CofE Primary School Falmouth
• Falmouth Primary Academy Falmouth
• King Charles Church of England Primary School Falmouth
• St Agnes Academy St Agnes
• St Newlyn East Learning Academy Newquay
• The Bishops CofE Learning Academy Newquay
• Trenance Learning Academy Newquay

What is Wendron Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wendron Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Wendron Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wendron Church of England Primary School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Wendron Church of England Primary School have?

Wendron Church of England Primary School has 105 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wendron Church of England Primary School cover?

Wendron Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Wendron Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wendron Church of England Primary School?

Wendron Church of England Primary School is at Wendron, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 0PX.