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St Mary's Catholic School, Penzance

Cornwall, TR18 2ATPrimaryAges 3–11MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Dec 2024
KS2 Results
70%
meeting expected standard in RWM
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
11 1st-choice / 11 places
Ranking
#4,419
of 13,686 nationally

About St Mary's Catholic School, Penzance

St Mary’s Catholic School in Penzance is a smaller-than-average primary, with 162 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, leaving around a quarter of places unfilled. That spare capacity is notable given the school’s popularity: for 2025/26 entry, it received 16 applications for 11 places, with all 11 first-preference families offered a spot, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.45. The pupil body is significantly more disadvantaged than the local average — 51.3% of children are eligible for free school meals, compared with the Cornwall primary average of around 18%. As a Roman Catholic state school, it serves a mixed intake of boys and girls from age 3 through to 11, with nursery provision on site. The school has been on a journey since its 2016 Ofsted inspection, which rated it Inadequate overall. By its most recent graded inspection in 2018, it had climbed to Good, and an ungraded visit in December 2024 confirmed that standards were being maintained, with leadership, management and early years provision all judged Good.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterRoman Catholic
AddressPeverell Road, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 2AT
HeadteacherNichola Teixeira
Local AuthorityCornwall
Number of Pupils162
Free School Meals (FSM)51.3%
School Capacity162 / 210 (77% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

The full report on this school

What 21 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

11 Dec 2024
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Early Years Provision
Good

Latest monitoring visit (11 Dec 2024): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 1 Nov 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

7
Sports HallPlaying FieldsSensory RoomArt StudiosForest SchoolGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

9

Sports

RoundersGymnasticsTennisDanceCross Country

Clubs & Activities

DramaCodingScience ClubFilm Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

DyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageVisionPhysicalLearning Difficulty

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

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Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Catholic School, Penzance

St Mary's Catholic School, Penzance has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.