Marhamchurch CofE Academy
Helebridge Road, Marhamchurch, Bude, EX23 0HY
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- LEARNING ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP (SOUTH WEST)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Deirdre Petersen
- Diocese
- Diocese of Truro
- Sponsor
- Learning Academy Partnership
- Constituency
- North Cornwall
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 140
- Pupils on roll
- 128
- URN
- 144063
- Local authority
- Cornwall
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01288361445
About this school
Marhamchurch CofE Academy is a Church of England primary academy in Bude. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 128 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Marhamchurch CofE Academy, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 19 | 20 | 26 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 11% | 45% | 54% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 53% | 65% | 69% |
| Expected standard in maths | 47% | 50% | 69% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 37% | 60% | 50% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 100.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 98.0 | 99.0 | 102.0 |
| Reading progress | -1.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -9.10 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -3.00 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Marhamchurch CofE Academy has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Cornwall average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 11% | 56.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 45% | 56.8% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 54% | 59.4% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.9% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 119 |
| 2023/24 | 122 |
| 2024/25 | 147 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Marhamchurch CofE Academy compares
Marhamchurch CofE Academy ranked 147th of 209 primary schools in Cornwall for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 28% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 54% | 4.9% | 10.9% | 128 | — |
| Bude Primary Academy - Juniors | 56% | 6.8% | 36.9% | 230 | 1.7 miles |
| Bude Primary Academy - Infants | — | 5.7% | 22.4% | 126 | 1.7 miles |
| Stratton Primary School | 50% | 6.2% | 21% | 340 | 1.8 miles |
| Bridgerule Church of England Primary School | 43% | 5.5% | 9.7% | 62 | 3.4 miles |
| Whitstone Primary School | 31% | 4.2% | 11% | 103 | 4.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Inspection history
- 27 February 2024
-
Ungraded inspection report8 June 2022
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 10.88%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 4.87%
- Persistent absence
- 7.44%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Bude Primary Academy - Juniors1.7 miles
Primary · Bude
-
Bude Primary Academy - Infants1.7 miles
Primary · Bude
-
Stratton Primary School1.8 miles
Primary · Bude
-
Bridgerule Church of England Primary School3.4 miles
Primary · Holsworthy
-
Whitstone Primary School4.2 miles
Primary · Holsworthy
Other schools in Bude
Marhamchurch CofE Academy ranks 4th of the 6 ranked primary schools in Bude.
- Bude Primary Academy - Infants Primary
- Bude Primary Academy - Juniors Primary
- Jacobstow Community Academy Primary
- Kilkhampton Junior and Infant School Primary
- St Mark's CofE Academy Primary
- Stratton Primary School Primary
- Budehaven Community School Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does Marhamchurch CofE Academy teach?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Bude.
- Who is the headteacher of Marhamchurch CofE Academy?
- The headteacher of Marhamchurch CofE Academy is Mrs Deirdre Petersen, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Marhamchurch CofE Academy been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Marhamchurch CofE Academy, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Marhamchurch CofE Academy?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy has 128 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Marhamchurch CofE Academy full?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy has capacity for 140 pupils and 128 on roll (91%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Marhamchurch CofE Academy a faith school?
- Yes. Marhamchurch CofE Academy is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Truro.
- Does Marhamchurch CofE Academy have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Marhamchurch CofE Academy as having no nursery classes.
- Is Marhamchurch CofE Academy part of an academy trust?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy is part of LEARNING ACADEMY PARTNERSHIP (SOUTH WEST). Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Marhamchurch CofE Academy's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 11% in 2022/23 and 54% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Marhamchurch CofE Academy compare with other schools in Cornwall?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy ranked 147th of 209 primary schools in Cornwall for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 28% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 64% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Marhamchurch CofE Academy's absence rate?
- Marhamchurch CofE Academy's overall absence rate is 4.9% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Marhamchurch CofE Academy's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Marhamchurch CofE Academy's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.