Pendeen School

Pendeen School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspection areas. The school fosters a supportive and respectful environment where pupils feel safe and valued, and they engage positively in their learning experiences. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, with leaders focusing on broadening pupils' horizons through enriched learning experiences, including educational trips. Parents appreciate the care and support provided, especially for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some concerns exist regarding attendance and writing proficiency across the curriculum, indicating areas for further improvement.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Positive attitudes toward learning
• Strong emphasis on personal development
• Well-managed educational trips and extracurricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils, particularly disadvantaged ones, have poor attendance
• Writing proficiency across the wider curriculum is insufficient

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 Pendeen School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.0% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Pendeen 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 Pendeen School had 15.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.8% 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, 7.6% of pupils at Pendeen School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.3% 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 Pendeen School received £9,594 and spent £10,429 for each of its 64 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £68,000 (£1,070 per pupil).

Across all 41 schools of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, income was £7,781 and spending £7,890 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 Penzance · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

Pendeen School is part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, which runs 41 schools. The nearest others:

• St Just Primary School Penzance
• Cape Cornwall School Penzance
• Mounts Bay Academy Penzance
• Sennen Community Primary Academy Penzance
• Pensans Community Primary School Penzance
• St Buryan Primary School Penzance
• Alverton Primary School Penzance
• Newlyn School Penzance
• Gulval School Penzance
• Nancledra School Penzance

What is Pendeen School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pendeen School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Pendeen School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pendeen School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Pendeen School have?

Pendeen School has 79 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pendeen School cover?

Pendeen School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Pendeen School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pendeen School?

Pendeen School is at Church Road, Pendeen, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 7SE.