Helston Community College

Helston Community College has been rated as good overall, demonstrating strong performance across various aspects of education. The school fosters a supportive and vibrant environment where pupils and sixth-form students feel proud and engaged in their learning. With a range of enrichment activities and a well-organized support system for pupils with special educational needs, the school excels in providing a well-rounded educational experience. However, there are areas where improvements are needed, particularly regarding the consistency of curriculum delivery across subjects and record-keeping in safeguarding measures.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils foster a supportive environment.
• Pupils are well-prepared for future education and careers with comprehensive guidance.
• The curriculum is ambitious and effectively supports progression in many subjects.
• Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Pupils exhibit positive behaviour, kindness, and respect toward one another.
• Encouraging reading for enjoyment through a well-stocked library and targeted support.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching quality across some subjects prevents effective learning.
• Safeguarding documentation is not always completed rigorously.

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 Helston Community College attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 7.7% of pupils at Helston Community College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 6 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 Helston Community College had 16.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.5% of pupils at Helston Community College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Helston Community College received £7,701 and spent £8,106 for each of its 1,328 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £124,000 (£93 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 Helston · Cornwall local authority: places and applications

Helston Community College is part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, which runs 41 schools. The nearest others:

• Mullion Primary School Helston
• Mullion School Helston
• St Hilary School Penzance
• St Erth Community Primary School Hayle
• Hayle Academy Hayle
• Kehelland Village School Camborne
• Bodriggy Academy Hayle
• Kennall Vale School Truro
• Trewirgie Infants' School Redruth
• Ludgvan School Penzance

What is Helston Community College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Helston Community College is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Helston Community College last inspected by Ofsted?

Helston Community College was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Helston Community College have?

Helston Community College has 1,297 pupils on roll.

What age range does Helston Community College cover?

Helston Community College for pupils aged 0 to 18.

What are Helston Community College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.9, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Helston Community College?

Helston Community College is at Church Hill, Helston, Cornwall, TR13 8NR.