Alverton Primary School, Penzance
Alverton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Penzance, part of Truro & Penwith Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 18 schools in Penzance with published results, and 4,602nd of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cornwall (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alverton Primary School in detail
Alverton Primary School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at Alverton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 81% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Cornwall and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 80% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Alverton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put Alverton Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 37 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Alverton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Alverton Primary School are Newlyn School (0.4 miles, Good, 87% reading, 83% maths); St Mary's CofE Primary School, Penzance (0.4 miles, Good, 73% reading, 47% maths); Pensans Community Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 58% reading, 67% maths); and Heamoor Community Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 67% reading, 67% maths).
Alverton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Newlyn SchoolSt Mary's CofE Primary School, PenzancePensans Community Primary SchoolHeamoor Community Primary School
The trust
Alverton Primary School is one of 41 schools run by Truro & Penwith Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
74 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Alverton Primary School (as of September 2025): 93% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 56% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (56%).
Who goes there
15.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (5%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Penzance Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Toltuff Road (se-bound), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 171 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cornwall (14), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alverton Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 2.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Alverton Primary School are Humphry Davy School (0.8 miles) and Mounts Bay Academy (1.1 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Alverton Primary School creates a warm, welcoming community where children feel safe and valued. The school places real emphasis on personal development beyond academics, offering clubs, leadership opportunities and pastoral support to help children thrive. Reading is championed throughout the school with quality phonics teaching and a genuine love of books fostered from the early years.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, respectful and proud of their school community with strong relationships between staff and pupils
- Personal development is a strength with a wide variety of clubs and enrichment activities including drama club
- Reading is a priority with effective phonics teaching, book club, and a wide range of books that pupils enjoy
- The school is calm and orderly with high expectations, and pupils understand the importance of good attendance
- Mixed-aged classes are managed well within the curriculum design
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils with SEND do not have their needs identified early enough or do not receive consistent support from learning plans
- Writing standards are not consistently high because staff lack clarity on the essential knowledge pupils must learn at each stage
- Some pupils make repeated errors in writing that go unaddressed due to unclear expectations
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective with clear systems in place and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Drama club, book club, pupil leadership roles, school parliament, school council, before- and after-school club
Alverton Primary School is a Good rated primary school where pupils are happy, treat each other with respect, and benefit from an ambitious curriculum with high expectations. The school has recently stabilised following leadership changes and continues to support pupils' learning and personal development well.
At a Glance
15.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
74 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 73% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.5
Avg class size
26.6
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
11
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Alverton Primary School
Friday News 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Friday News 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Friday News 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Friday News 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Friday News 4th September 2026
4 Sep 2026
From Alverton Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Alverton Primary School
Term dates
Alverton Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cornwall's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alverton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alverton Primary School is in Cornwall; for families living there:
- Cornwall's school travel policy: Home to School Travel Assistance Policy 2026/27
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 11
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Alverton Primary School
Will you get a place at Alverton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Alverton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Alverton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Alverton Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cornwall, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Alverton Primary School for 2016 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cornwall got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
308 pupils
315 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Penzance
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Penzance
Across Cornwall council
Places available
6,475
Applications
4,732
Got 1st preference
95.9%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Cornwall council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
51
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
386
Total Pupils
196
Boys
190
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
21.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,200
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,243
Per pupil
£1801k
Total funding
£94k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.6%
Overall absence
10.7%
Persistent absence
271
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Alverton Primary School
Questions parents ask about Alverton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Alverton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Alverton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 81% did so in maths.
What is Alverton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Alverton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Alverton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Alverton Primary School is oversubscribed, Cornwall allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alverton Primary School?
Alverton Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Alverton Primary School?
Classes at Alverton Primary School average 28.5 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Alverton Primary School?
Alverton Primary School has around 386 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Alverton Primary School?
5.6% of sessions were missed at Alverton Primary School in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alverton Primary School?
Apply through Cornwall's coordinated admissions process, naming Alverton Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Alverton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 11 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cornwall is 3 (the median across 299 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alverton Primary School?
Alverton Primary School is at Toltuff Crescent, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4QD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)