School Chooser

Wadebridge Primary Academy

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy373 pupilsNurseryWadebridgeCornwall
School Chooser Score
28
Below
similar schools
Likely range 16 to 46
Out of 100. Better than 30% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, April 2023
Reached the expected level at 1154%England 63%
Attendance94.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families26%About the same as most schools in England
Places107 spare373 pupils, 480 places
Pupils per teacher18.8School workforce census

Wadebridge Primary Academy is a converter academy in Wadebridge for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 373 pupils and room for 480. About 26 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 28 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Gonvena Hill, Wadebridge, PL27 6BL01208 814560wadebridgeprimary.co.ukMr Chris Wathern headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 April 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

61 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1154%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 72%72%20172018: 71%71%20182019: 67%67%20192023: 48%48%20232024: 63%63%20242025: 54%54%2025
Since 2017: -18%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017CornwallEngland
Pupils tested616763646358
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths54%63%48%67%71%72%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%6%3%14%8%5%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0106.0103.0103.0104.0104.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0105.0101.0106.0104.0103.0103.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0105.0101.0103.0101.0103.0103.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard70%84%70%72%79%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard66%79%59%83%81%83%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)70%69%70%81%78%81%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.2-1.1-1.5+1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.6+1.1+0.0+0.6
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%25%39%44%54%57%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged60%71%51%71%76%75%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
38%60%
Gap 22 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%58%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%5%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places356 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
85% full

64 places were empty (15% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% 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 roll373Census January 2026
Places48078% full
Pupils from low-income families24%26% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%50 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.316 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)26%£130,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls208 / 165
White British pupils92%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 24.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 23.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (19), language and communications needs (17), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll373414446444419439
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals24%25%23%21%20%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%1%0%1%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%14%14%14%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.9%6.3%6.7%7.2%4.6%4.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.3%4.6%5.6%3.9%3.1%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.8%2.0%2.1%1.6%0.8%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.7%18.8%21.5%23.1%10.0%9.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.93.60.70.50.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers19.0full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher18.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£45,885
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.92024/25

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£6,282England £7,128. Total £2.5m
Income per pupil£6,378England £7,587. Total £2.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,003England £3,405
Money in reserve12%A healthy amount put by: £294k, £747 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£38kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,282spent 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 m5812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate72 per 1,000 people21% lower than the England average
Typical house price£289,950Cornwall
Nearest bus stop60 mWadebridge Sch Gonvena Hill Ent, 10 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
St Breock Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles203Good 202257Compare
St Mabyn CofE SchoolAcademy2.9 miles50Good 202288Compare
St Kew AcademyAcademy2.9 miles81Not inspectedCompare
St Minver SchoolAcademy3.6 miles175Good 202272Compare
St Issey Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.1 miles124Good 202388Compare
Nanstallon Community Primary SchoolFoundation4.6 miles111Report card 20264Compare
Port Isaac AcademyAcademy4.7 miles52Report card 20260Compare
St Tudy CofE Primary SchoolAcademy4.8 miles34Good 202422Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Wadebridge Primary Academy with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats30%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 28 is 11 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 39 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 28 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 28% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 16 to 46. 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%below
-0.10
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 61 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.4 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.12
DfE progress measure; 61 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.05
2024/25; 327 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 61 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 Wadebridge Primary Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Wadebridge Primary Academy scores 28 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 30% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 16 to 46, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Wadebridge Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Wadebridge Primary Academy good at its last full inspection on 18 April 2023.

How good are Wadebridge Primary Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 54% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Wadebridge Primary Academy have?

373 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 480 places, so it is 78% full.

Is Wadebridge Primary Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 64 places were empty in 2024/25 (15% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Wadebridge Primary Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Wadebridge Primary Academy?

The average class had 22.3 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
Gonvena Hill, Wadebridge, PL27 6BL
Telephone
01208 814560
Website
www.wadebridgeprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Chris Wathern
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Bridge Multi-Academy Trust (15 schools)
Local authority
Cornwall
Ward
Wadebridge East & St Minver
Constituency
North Cornwall
Setting
Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2011 (academy converter)
URN
137366 · LAESTAB 9082742 · UKPRN 10035090
Formerly
Wadebridge Community Primary School

Where these figures come from