School Chooser

Mousehole School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy94 pupilsNurseryPenzanceCornwall
School Chooser Score
77
Above
similar schools
Likely range 46 to 92, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, April 2022
Reached the expected level at 1192%England 63%
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families19%A bit fewer than most schools
Places35 spare94 pupils, 129 places
Pupils per teacher19.4School workforce census

Mousehole School is a converter academy in Penzance for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 94 pupils and room for 129. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Foxes Lane, Mousehole, Penzance, TR19 6QQ01736 731427mousehole.cornwall.sch.ukMrs Sarah Trow headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 27 April 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

12 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1192%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score110.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 93%93%20172018: 80%80%20182019: 90%90%20192023: 73%73%20232024: 80%80%20242025: 92%92%2025
Since 2017: -1%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†CornwallEngland
Pupils tested121515201515
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths92%80%73%90%80%93%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%20%20%5%0%7%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0110.0107.0108.0112.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score110.0111.0107.0106.0105.0108.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score109.0110.0105.0109.0105.0105.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%87%93%95%93%93%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard100%100%93%90%87%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)92%93%73%95%87%100%
Reading progressReading progress score+4.7+3.3+3.1+5.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.5+1.3+0.7+1.8

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Mousehole Community Primary School, the school this one replaced in November 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places77 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
73% full

28 places were empty (27% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 20% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Cornwall council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll94Census January 2026
Places12973% full
Pupils from low-income families20%19% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%8 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size20.04 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)19%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls53 / 41
White British pupils90%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 13.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (5), Specific learning difficulty (3), Moderate learning difficulty (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll94100102104115118
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals20%22%21%21%17%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%5%3%3%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%4%3%4%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.02024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.6%6.4%6.8%5.2%2.4%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.6%5.3%4.1%2.0%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.8%1.6%1.2%0.4%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.3%23.5%20.5%12.8%4.2%2.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.5full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher19.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,200
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.12023/24

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,480England £7,128. Total £748k
Income per pupil£7,440England £7,587. Total £744k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,130England £3,405
Money in reserve5%Not much put by: £34k, £336 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£4,000it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,480spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m2612 months to June 2026, mostly criminal damage and arson
Local crime rate72 per 1,000 people21% lower than the England average
Typical house price£289,950Cornwall
Nearest bus stop70 mSchool, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Newlyn SchoolAcademy1.7 miles152Good 202357Compare
St Mary's CofE Primary School, PenzanceChurch of England2.0 miles141Good 202314Compare
Alverton Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles386No overall grade 202481Compare
Pensans Community Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles139Requires improvement 20243Compare
Heamoor Community Primary SchoolFoundation2.8 miles201Good 202114Compare
St Mary's Catholic School, PenzanceAcademy2.8 miles139Not inspected10Compare
Gulval SchoolAcademy3.3 miles223Good 202266Compare
St Buryan Primary SchoolAcademy3.7 miles61Good 202315Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Mousehole School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats88%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 25 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 52 · highest 95100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 46 to 92. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%above
+0.10
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.05
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 77 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.22
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Mousehole School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Mousehole School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 88% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 46 to 92, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Mousehole School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Mousehole School good at its last full inspection on 27 April 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Mousehole School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 92% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Mousehole School have?

94 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 129 places, so it is 73% full.

Is Mousehole School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 28 places were empty in 2024/25 (27% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Mousehole School?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Mousehole School?

The average class had 20.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Foxes Lane, Mousehole, Penzance, TR19 6QQ
Telephone
01736 731427
Website
www.mousehole.cornwall.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Trow
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Truro & Penwith Academy Trust (41 schools)
Local authority
Cornwall
Ward
Mousehole, Newlyn & St Buryan
Constituency
St Ives
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2017 (academy converter)
URN
143442 · LAESTAB 9082008 · UKPRN 10061448
Formerly
Mousehole Community Primary School

Where these figures come from