Marhamchurch CofE Academy
Helebridge Road, Marhamchurch, Bude, EX23 0HYOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Marhamchurch CofE Academy is a primary school in Bude for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 295 schools in Cornwall. It ranks 205th of 209 primary schools in Cornwall. Its latest Ofsted rating is Requires improvement, from an inspection in February 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 27 February 2024, report published 25 March 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years provision
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 27 February 2024
Marhamchurch is a happy, calm and safe environment for pupils. They enjoy school and have positive attitudes to learning. Children in the early years show sustained concentration in tasks. Older pupils show care and compassion towards their younger peers at playtimes. Pupils speak to visitors with both courtesy and confidence. Bullying is not an issue. However, the school is recovering from a period of steep decline. The transfer to the current trust has been a positive one. It has started to address the many weaknesses in the curriculum. There are green shoots emerging, particularly in pupils knowing more and remembering more over time. The recently appointed headteacher has been the driving force behind this. Parents rightly regard her highly. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to do. The school recognises this. Sport has a high profile at the school. Pupils enjoy participating in tournaments and representing the school. Nevertheless, the school has started to broaden its offer beyond the academic further in order to align with its vision of 'Life in all its fullness'. Pupils learn to play a range of musical instruments. Playground leaders and 'Values Champions' give pupils an active role in the running of the school, such as leading assemblies.
What the school should improve
- The curriculum is at various stages of development. In some subjects, the trust has not precisely identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember. This means that pupils do not always build their knowledge well over time. The trust needs to ensure that all subjects identify the knowledge that pupils must learn and when.
- On some occasions teachers provide activities which do not match the curriculum intention or are ambitious enough. As a result, pupils do not learn some new knowledge securely. The trust must ensure that the work given to pupils closely matches the curriculum intention, is ambitious and takes into account pupils' prior knowledge.
- Some staff do not have the necessary subject knowledge to deliver the phonics programme as the school intends. This means that some pupils do not learn to read quickly enough. The trust should ensure that staff are supported and trained to teach phonics in line with the school's agreed approaches.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
26 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
128 pupils on roll, with places for 140
Schools near Marhamchurch CofE Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bude Primary Academy - Juniors | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | 56% met the expected standard |
| Bude Primary Academy - Infants | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Not published |
| Stratton Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 50% met the expected standard |
| Bridgerule Church of England Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 43% met the expected standard |
| Whitstone Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Good | 31% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- LEARNING ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP (SOUTH WEST)
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Deirdre Petersen
- Phone
- 01288361445
- Address
- Helebridge Road, Marhamchurch, Bude, EX23 0HY
- Local authority
- Cornwall
- URN
- 144063
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.