Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary School

About Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary School

Perran-Ar-Worthal Community Primary School is a state primary in Cornwall that currently teaches 198 pupils, which is 18 more than its official capacity of 180. That oversubscription is reflected in its admissions data for the 2025/26 intake: the school received 65 applications for just 20 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.25. Of those, 18 were first-preference applications, and exactly 18 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family that put it first got a place. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 6.1%, well below the national average for primary schools, suggesting the intake is drawn from a relatively less deprived catchment. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and serves ages 4 to 11. Its headteacher is Rachel Heffer, and it has no nursery or sixth-form provision.

Academically, Perran-Ar-Worthal sits in the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 57% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just one point below the Cornwall local authority average of 58%. That places the school 114th out of 208 primaries in the county, and 8778th nationally out of 13,686, putting it in the bottom half nationally. At the higher standard, 18% of pupils achieved the combined benchmark. Breaking it down, reading was the strongest subject: 71% reached the expected level and 36% hit the higher standard, with an average score of 105. In maths, 64% met expectations and 32% reached the higher tier, with an average score of 103. Writing saw 75% at expected and 29% at greater depth. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2022, rated it Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. That was an improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2012, when it was rated Requires Improvement.

The school offers a decent range of facilities, including playing fields, an art studio, a forest school area, an ICT suite, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on the curriculum include cricket, cross country, tennis, netball, dance and swimming. There are also a few clubs: science, coding and film club. For SEND, the school supports a broad spectrum of needs, including moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, visual impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. Given its oversubscription and relatively low FSM rate, this is a school that local families clearly want, but it is not a standout performer academically. It would suit parents who prioritise a Good-rated, community-feel primary with strong forest school and arts provision, and who are comfortable with solid but not exceptional SATs results.

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