St Mark's CofE Academy, Bude
St Mark's CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Bude, part of Learning Academy Partnership (south West). It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Bude with published results, and 14,353rd of 14,452 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
St Mark's CofE Academy in detail
St Mark's CofE Academy in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils at St Mark's CofE Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 25% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 60% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Mark's CofE Academy
For September 2026 entry, 5 families put St Mark's CofE Academy as their first choice, for 5 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Mark's CofE Academy
The trust
St Mark's CofE Academy is one of 22 schools run by Learning Academy Partnership (south West), an academy trust.
What parents say
29 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Mark's CofE Academy (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 82% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (82%).
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 11 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
St Mark's CofE Academy had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of St Mark's CofE Academy.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Phoenix Cottage (e-bound), 310 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14).
Suspensions and exclusions
St Mark's CofE Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
St Mark's CofE Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in January 2023. Before that, as St Mark's CofE Primary School, Morwenstow (URN 111992), it was rated Outstanding in June 2013.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Mark's has created a nurturing, caring environment where pupils form strong friendships and feel safe and happy. The school is ambitious for all pupils and delivers a well-designed curriculum with a particular strength in early reading and phonics. Pupils with additional needs receive excellent personalised support, and the school has made impressive improvements in attendance through proactive family support.
Key Strengths
- Sharp focus on reading with effective phonics teaching and rapid catch-up support for pupils who fall behind
- Strong identification and support for pupils with SEND, with personalised targets that meet their needs
- Excellent attendance improvements through regular analysis and swift support for families
- Well-designed, ambitious and interesting curriculum that has been overhauled by new leaders
- High expectations for behaviour with no low-level disruption in lessons
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, curriculum teaching does not support pupils to build knowledge securely, meaning some pupils do not reach intended goals
- Assessment information is not always used precisely to adapt teaching and close learning gaps
- Staff need stronger subject and pedagogical knowledge to deliver the curriculum securely in all areas
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Coastal location visits for science and geography, sporting events, book club, pre-school club, after-school club
St Mark's CofE Academy is a small primary school in Cornwall with a nursery that has been rated Good across all key areas. The school is built on strong relationships and an ambitious curriculum designed to help pupils flourish.
At a Glance
18.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
29 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 60% to 50% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 25% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
4.0
Avg class size
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Mark's CofE Academy
Term dates
St Mark's CofE Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cornwall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Mark's CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Mark's CofE Academy is in Cornwall; for families living there:
- Cornwall's school travel policy: Home to School Travel Assistance Policy 2026/27
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at St Mark's CofE Academy
Will you get a place at St Mark's CofE Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Mark's CofE Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Mark's CofE Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Mark's CofE Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Mark's CofE Academy for 2023 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cornwall got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
75%
Available places
63 pupils
84 places
21 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bude
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bude
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,475
Applications
4,732
Got 1st preference
95.9%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
11
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
59
Total Pupils
35
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,919
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,402
Per pupil
£495k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
13.6%
Persistent absence
59
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about St Mark's CofE Academy
What are SATs results like at St Mark's CofE Academy?
Of the pupils at St Mark's CofE Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 50% reached the expected standard in reading and 25% did so in maths.
What is St Mark's CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
St Mark's CofE Academy has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in January 2023. Before that, as St Mark's CofE Primary School, Morwenstow (URN 111992), it was rated Outstanding in June 2013.
What is the catchment area for St Mark's CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When St Mark's CofE Academy is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Mark's CofE Academy?
St Mark's CofE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 84 places.
How big are the classes at St Mark's CofE Academy?
Classes at St Mark's CofE Academy average 4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Mark's CofE Academy?
St Mark's CofE Academy has around 59 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Mark's CofE Academy?
5% of sessions were missed at St Mark's CofE Academy in 2024/25. 13.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Mark's CofE Academy?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming St Mark's CofE Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near St Mark's CofE Academy?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Mark's CofE Academy?
St Mark's CofE Academy is at Shop, Morwenstow, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 9PE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)