Humphry Davy School

About Humphry Davy School

Humphry Davy School, a mixed state secondary in Cornwall for pupils aged 11 to 16, was rated Good across every category in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023. That includes Good marks for overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school has held a Good rating consistently, with its previous inspection in 2011 also awarding the same overall grade. The most telling exam metric is its Progress 8 score of -0.27, which is below the national average and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. Within Cornwall, that score ranks it 22nd out of 31 schools, putting it in the 71st percentile locally. For context, the local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.12, so Humphry Davy’s figure sits noticeably below that benchmark, suggesting pupils here make less academic progress from Key Stage 2 to GCSEs than their peers across the county.

Looking deeper at the 2023/24 exam results, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 42.2, meaning the average pupil achieves just over a grade 4 per subject. The basics measure — the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in both English and maths — stands at 59.1 per cent, though this drops to 35.9 per cent when the bar is raised to a grade 5 or above. The English Baccalaureate entry rate is low at 22.7 per cent, and only 13.6 per cent of pupils achieved the EBacc at grade 4 or above. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.55. Breaking down Progress 8 by subject area, English and maths both sit at -0.27, while the open element (other GCSEs) is slightly better at -0.2. The EBacc element is weakest at -0.39. These figures paint a picture of a school where outcomes are broadly consistent across subjects but trail the local and national averages.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 266 applications for 127 places, a ratio of 2.09 applicants per place, with all 127 first-preference applicants offered a spot. Facilities are generous for a secondary of its size — there’s a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, tennis courts, and a chapel, plus science labs, music rooms, and a sixth form centre (though the school has no official sixth form). SEND provision is comprehensive, covering autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, among others. With 38.2 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. This is a school that suits families who value strong pastoral care and a wide range of clubs — from coding and Model UN to choir and eco club — over top-tier academic results.

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