Budehaven Community School

About Budehaven Community School

Budehaven Community School is a mixed state secondary in Cornwall, a local authority where just two of 34 same-type schools hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The school itself ranks 20th out of 31 secondaries in the county when measured by Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half locally. Its top-performing peers in Cornwall include The Roseland Academy, Penrice Academy and Poltair School, all of which score higher on that same metric. Budehaven’s Progress 8 score of -0.22 means pupils here make less academic progress than the national average, and it also sits below the Cornwall LA average of -0.12. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2017, which had dipped to Requires Improvement for sixth-form provision at that time.

At Key Stage 4, Budehaven’s Attainment 8 score stands at 43, with 62.8% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 35.7% reaching grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.59, though only 24.1% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects, and just 6% achieved it at grade 5 or above. Progress in maths is close to the national average at -0.01, but English progress is weaker at -0.45. In the sixth form, 46 pupils took A-levels in the 2023/24 academic year, achieving an average grade of C+ per entry and 32.78 points per entry. The value-added score is exactly zero, meaning students here make progress in line with the national average. The best three A-levels averaged a C+ grade, and 14.8% of entries were graded AAB or higher. The school’s Progress 8 banding is classified as ‘Below average’.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 209 first-preference offers made from 218 first-preference applications and 274 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.31. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, gymnasium, science labs, art studios, library, ICT suite, and a sixth-form centre. Sports offered range from rowing and rugby to netball and gymnastics, and clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Young Enterprise, coding, drama, and eco club. SEND provisions cover a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health support. Budehaven suits families looking for a large, inclusive secondary with a broad extracurricular offer and a sixth form, though those prioritising strong academic progress may want to compare it with higher-ranked local alternatives.

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