St Michael's Church of England Primary School

St Michael’s Church of England Primary School is performing well, successfully maintaining standards since its last inspection. The school provides a supportive and inclusive environment for its pupils, enabling them to thrive both academically and emotionally. Strong relationships between staff and students contribute to a nurturing atmosphere where pupils enjoy attending and feel safe. The school's comprehensive curriculum, particularly its focus on reading, enables pupils to develop essential skills for their future education and life beyond primary school.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well and leave equipped for secondary education.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils foster a positive learning environment.
• Effective support for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Well-structured curriculum with clearly identified key concepts.
• High-quality training for staff in phonics delivery.

Areas for Improvement

• Occasionally, some staff do not choose the most appropriate activities to deepen pupils' subject knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Michael's Church of England Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.3% of pupils at St Michael's Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Michael's Church of England Primary School had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.2% of pupils at St Michael's Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 St Michael's Church of England Primary School received £7,043 and spent £7,354 for each of its 323 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £66,000 (£203 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,273 and spending £7,687 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Helston · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

St Michael's Church of England Primary School is part of The Rainbow Multi Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Troon Community Primary School Camborne
• Penponds School Camborne
• Trevithick Learning Academy Camborne
• St Meriadoc CofE Infant Academy Camborne
• St Meriadoc CofE Junior Academy Camborne
• St Ives Infant School St Ives
• Veryan CofE School Truro
• Ladock C of E School Truro
• Grampound Road Village CofE School Truro
• Grampound-With-Creed CofE Primary School Truro

What is St Michael's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Michael's Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was St Michael's Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Michael's Church of England Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does St Michael's Church of England Primary School have?

St Michael's Church of England Primary School has 330 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Michael's Church of England Primary School cover?

St Michael's Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Michael's Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Michael's Church of England Primary School?

St Michael's Church of England Primary School is at Penberthy Road, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8AR.