Launceston College
91%
Capacity
1,280
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Launceston College
Launceston College sits within Cornwall’s state secondary landscape as a strong performer, ranking 4th out of 31 schools in the local authority based on Progress 8 scores. That places it just behind the top three peers in the area: The Roseland Academy, Penrice Academy, and Poltair School. With a Progress 8 score of 0.22, the school is comfortably above the Cornwall average of -0.12, meaning pupils here make significantly more academic progress than their peers across the county. Headteacher Mr Matthew Thompson leads a mixed, non-denominational secondary with a sixth form, serving 1,280 pupils against a capacity of 1,400. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 289 applications for 226 places, with 223 first-preference offers made. That level of demand suggests strong local confidence, and the school’s Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 reinforces that picture.
Academically, Launceston College delivers results that are notably above the national average. Its Progress 8 banding is classed as ‘Above average’, and the school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 46, with 71.5% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 4.31, and 56.1% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In the sixth form, the school’s value-added score of 0.62 is rated ‘Well above average’, with pupils achieving an average of 39.17 points per entry — equivalent to a B grade. The best three A-levels averaged 40.69 points, also a B. Ofsted’s 2023 inspection awarded Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. The school has held a Good rating since at least 2012, and the inspection report notes that the sixth form provision is also Good.
The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, playing fields, a gymnasium, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, hockey, rowing, and martial arts, while extracurricular clubs cover orchestra, choir, drama, Model UN, coding, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Launceston College has a dedicated SEN unit and provides support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 22.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is a good fit for families seeking a well-subscribed, academically strong secondary with a thriving sixth form and solid pastoral and SEND infrastructure, all within a rural Cornish setting.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Hurdon Road, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9JR |
| Headteacher | Mr Matthew Thompson |
| Local Authority | Cornwall |
| Number of Pupils | 1,280 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 22.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,280 / 1,400 (91% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 28 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.22)
1037th of 3,141
Nationally
89th of 306
In South West
4th of 31
In Cornwall
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
34.4
'22/23
33.0
'23/24
39.2
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2336%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 233 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)36%
- Sixth form college26%
- FE college16%
- Employment10%
- Apprenticeship7%
- Not sustained3%
97% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2336%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 69 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
32%
Russell Group
21%
Top-third HE
4%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)36%
- Employment32%
- Not sustained16%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology19
- Mathematics16
- English Literature15
- Art and Design (Photography)14
- History14
- Biology13
- Art and Design (Fine Art)11
- Business Studies:Single11
- Chemistry11
- Geography9
- Film Studies7
- Computer Studies / Computing5
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
SEN UnitSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed226
289
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
223 families put this school as their 1st choice (77% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
09:00 – 15:15
Source: launcestoncollege.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.8%
- White (other)6.1%
- Asian1.8%
- Mixed1.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
4
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Launceston College
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Hurdon Road, Launceston
Cornwall, PL15 9JR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Launceston College!
Write a Review