Lostwithiel School

About Lostwithiel School

Lostwithiel School’s Key Stage 2 results place it well above the Cornwall local authority average, which sits at 58% for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. At Lostwithiel, that figure is 72%, a clear 14 percentage points higher. The school also performs strongly at the higher standard, with 28% of pupils achieving that level compared with a county average that typically runs lower. In reading, 52% of pupils hit the higher standard, and in maths the average scaled score is 107. These numbers put Lostwithiel in the top 50 primary schools in Cornwall, ranked 41st out of 208, and in the top 20% nationally. It’s a school that consistently outperforms its local peers, and the gap is wide enough to make it a standout choice for families prioritising academic attainment in the area.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2022, awarded it a Good rating across all five categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management also graded as Requires Improvement. The turnaround under headteacher Elaine Badger has been notable. At Key Stage 2, 80% of pupils met the expected standard in both maths and writing, and 76% did so in reading. The average scaled scores of 107 in both reading and maths are comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. While the school does not publish Progress 8 scores, the attainment data alone suggests pupils are leaving primary school with strong foundations.

Lostwithiel is a smaller-than-average primary school, with 182 pupils against a capacity of 175, and it is oversubscribed: for 17 places in the 2025/26 intake, there were 36 applications, giving a ratio of 2.12 applicants per place. Fourteen of those were first-preference applications, all of which received offers. The school offers a nursery provision for children from age two, and its facilities include a forest school, sensory room, ICT suite, library, music rooms and a gymnasium. Sports on offer include netball, swimming, cricket and football, and there are clubs for science, drama and eco activities. The school’s SEND provisions cover a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a well-regarded local primary that suits families who want strong academic outcomes, a broad enrichment offer and a school that has demonstrably improved its quality in recent years.

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