Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School

Grade-Ruan C of E Primary School is currently rated as requiring improvement overall. While the school has made strides in enhancing its curriculum, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics, there are significant gaps in students' learning in other subjects such as history, art, music, and geography. The school benefits from a supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. However, the quality of education remains inconsistent across different areas, with early years provision needing particular attention to better support children's learning through play. The school is part of the Aspire Academy Trust, which has been instrumental in helping the school address previous declines in standards.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve with increasing success and feel safe at school.
• The reading curriculum effectively promotes strong progress and enjoyment of reading.
• The school has a strong ethos that supports pupils' wider development.
• Behaviour and attitudes among pupils are good.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent, leading to variable learning outcomes.
• Significant gaps in knowledge persist, particularly in older pupils.
• Early years provision requires refinement for better learning outcomes.

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 Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.3% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Grade-Ruan CofE 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 Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School had 12.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.3% 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, 23.6% of pupils at Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% 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 Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School received £8,088 and spent £8,134 for each of its 70 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £26,000 (£376 per pupil).

Across all 38 schools of Aspire Academy Trust, income was £7,450 and spending £7,448 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

Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School is part of Aspire Academy Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Coverack Primary School Helston
• St Keverne Primary School Helston
• Manaccan Primary School Helston
• Nansloe Academy Helston
• Breage CofE Primary School Helston
• Penryn Primary Academy Penryn
• Crowan Primary School Camborne
• St Mawes Primary School Truro
• Cusgarne Primary School Truro
• Connor Downs Academy Hayle

What is Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School have?

Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School has 72 pupils on roll.

What age range does Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School cover?

Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 36% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School?

Grade-Ruan CofE Primary School is at Ruan Minor, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 7JN.