Penair School
94%
Capacity
1,239
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About Penair School
Penair School in Cornwall holds a Good rating from Ofsted, confirmed in an ungraded inspection in 2023, and its most recent graded inspection in 2017 also rated it Good. The single most informative metric for understanding its academic impact is the Progress 8 score, which measures how much pupils improve from primary school to GCSEs compared with pupils nationally. Penair’s Progress 8 score is 0.05, meaning its pupils achieve slightly better results than the national average. This places the school 9th out of 31 secondary schools in Cornwall, putting it in the top third of the local authority. It also sits well above the Cornwall local authority average Progress 8 score of -0.12, showing that the school is performing significantly better than the typical school in its area.
Looking at the 2023/24 GCSE results, Penair’s Attainment 8 score was 48, which roughly equates to a grade 5 (a strong pass) across eight subjects. The basics measure shows that 54.1 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, while 70.2 per cent achieved a grade 4 or above in those core subjects. Progress in maths was notably stronger than in English, with a Progress 8 score of 0.18 for maths compared with 0.06 for English. The English Baccalaureate entry rate was low at 10.2 per cent, and the EBacc average point score was 3.9. The school’s overall Progress 8 banding is classified as Average, and the confidence interval suggests performance is broadly in line with expectations nationally.
Penair is a popular school, oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake with 455 applications for 256 places, giving a ratio of 1.78 applicants per place. It offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms and science labs. The school supports a broad spectrum of special educational needs, with provisions for dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties, among others. Extra-curricular life is active, with clubs ranging from Model UN and Debate to DofE, Orchestra, Gardening and Film Club. With no sixth form, pupils leave at 16, and the school’s strong but not elite academic profile makes it a good fit for families seeking a well-run, inclusive comprehensive in the Truro area that delivers consistent results above the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | St Clement, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1TN |
| Headteacher | James Davidson |
| Local Authority | Cornwall |
| Number of Pupils | 1,239 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.1% |
| School Capacity | 1,239 / 1,320 (94% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Mar 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (29 Mar 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 17 May 2017. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.05)
1405th of 3,141
Nationally
131st of 306
In South West
9th of 31
In Cornwall
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 179 pupils).
- FE college78%
- Apprenticeship6%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained6%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
- Sixth form college1%
92% 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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed256
455
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
244 families put this school as their 1st choice (54% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% 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 British83.5%
- Mixed5.0%
- White (other)4.7%
- Asian3.4%
- Black0.1%
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.
75% 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.
3
Total schools
3
Oversubscribed
2
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Penair School
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
St Clement, Truro
Cornwall, TR1 1TN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
